Defending champion Jannik Sinner will begin his quest for a rare Australian Open three-peat against France’s Hugo Gaston after Thursday’s draw laid out a Melbourne fortnight shaped by looming blockbusters, generational rivalries and history firmly within reach for several contenders.

The Italian, who swept aside Alexander Zverev in straight sets in last year’s final before adding Wimbledon and the ATP Finals to his rapidly growing resume, finds himself on a potential semifinal collision course with Novak Djokovic, the man who has defined this tournament for nearly two decades.

Djokovic, seeded fourth, opens against Spain’s Pedro Martinez as he pursues a record-shattering 25th Grand Slam title that would move him clear of Margaret Court atop the all-time list.

Sinner’s early path appears relatively smooth, but intrigue builds quickly.

Fans are already circling a possible third-round meeting with 28th-seeded Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca, one of the tour’s most explosive young talents, provided the 19-year-old overcomes recent back problems.

Beyond that, the stakes escalate sharply, with a possible quarterfinal against Lorenzo Musetti before the tantalizing prospect of Djokovic in the last four.

"The draw is very difficult, it doesn’t matter who you play,” Sinner said at the ceremony. "We are the best players in the world, and the way is very long. We go day by day.” If Sinner succeeds, he would join Djokovic as the only men in the Open era to win three consecutive Australian Open titles.

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz begins his campaign against Australian wild card Adam Walton, launching a bid that carries historical weight of its own.

The Spaniard is chasing his first Melbourne Park crown and a career Grand Slam that would make him the youngest man to achieve the feat. Alcaraz shares his half of the draw with Zverev, last year’s beaten finalist, and the two are scheduled to meet in the semifinals should they advance.

Zverev, now world No. 3, opens against Canadian power hitter Gabriel Diallo, while sixth seed Alex de Minaur faces one of the toughest first-round tests of the tournament against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini, a former Wimbledon finalist and 2022 Australian Open semifinalist.

De Minaur carries home expectations but little margin for error.

Djokovic’s road is no gentler. The 10-time champion could meet Musetti in the quarterfinals, a stylistic contrast that would test the Serb’s defensive mastery against the Italian’s shot-making flair.

A semifinal against Sinner would represent both a generational crossroads and a referendum on who now truly owns Melbourne Park.

On the women’s side, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka opens against French wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah as she seeks to reclaim a title she lost in last year’s final.

Defending champion Madison Keys begins her title defense against Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova, knowing she will carry the weight of expectation after a year that failed to build on her long-awaited first major triumph at age 29.

Keys’ draw is unforgiving. She could meet compatriot Jessica Pegula in the fourth round before a possible quarterfinal against fourth seed Amanda Anisimova, underscoring the depth and volatility of the American contingent.

Sabalenka shares her half of the draw with third seed Coco Gauff, setting up a possible semifinal rematch between two of the tour’s fiercest competitors. Gauff opens against Kamilla Rakhimova and could face Venus Williams, competing on a wildcard at 45, in a second-round meeting that would span generations.

Second seed Iga Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam champion, begins against a qualifier as she continues her search for a breakthrough in Melbourne, the one major where she has yet to reach a final.

Her path could feature a pivotal quarterfinal against fifth seed Elena Rybakina, whose resurgence has been underlined by her maiden WTA Finals title in November.

Rybakina opens against Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan and looms as one of the most dangerous threats in the field.

Australian hopes took a blow when Thanasi Kokkinakis withdrew with a shoulder injury after entering the draw with a protected ranking, further thinning the local men’s contingent.