Australian Open Press Release, December 13, 2024
Nine wildcards have been awarded to players to compete at Australian Open 2025, a group headlined by three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka.
Wawrinka will be joined at Melbourne Park – where the main draw begins on 12 January – by Tristan Schoolkate (WA), Li Tu (SA), James McCabe (NSW), Daria Saville (Vic), Ajla Tomljanovic, Emerson Jones (Qld), Talia Gibson (WA) and Maya Joint (Qld).
More main draw wildcards, plus wildcard entries to the AO qualifying tournament, will be announced soon.
Wawrinka has fond memories of the AO, winning the title in 2014 in what was his first Grand Slam triumph.
He peaked at world No.3 with that victory, and later added major titles at Roland Garros in 2015 and the 2016 US Open.
Now 39, the Swiss star has battled injuries in recent years, but did manage to progress to the quarterfinals here for a fifth time at AO 2020 – his last appearance in a major quarterfinal.
“I’m incredibly grateful to receive a wildcard into the Australian Open in 2025,” Stan Wawrinka said. “Melbourne holds such a special place in my heart – it’s where I won my first Grand Slam and is one of the greatest milestones of my career.
“The city, the people, the loud fans and the electric atmosphere make the Australian Open so special to me and I’m really looking forward to getting back on the court in Melbourne.”
Wawrinka, known for his stunning one-handed backhand, is joined in the main draw by another single-handed player in Tu.
The South Australian was a revelation at the US Open, where he qualified for the main draw then pushed reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz to four sets.
That performance, in prime time at Arthur Ashe Stadium, showcased his swashbuckling playing style and was form he maintained for the rest of the season.
He qualified for the main draw of the Shanghai Masters, reached the final of the Yokohama Challenger, and hit a career-high ranking of No.172.
“I’m incredibly excited and grateful to Tennis Australia for this amazing opportunity. I can’t wait to showcase my best tennis at Melbourne Park in front of the home crowd. I think it will be a great way to start my year and set myself up for a big 2025, hoping for my best year yet.”
At that same US Open, West Australian Schoolkate advanced to the second round in what was his first appearance in the main draw of a Slam. He came incredibly close to the third round before falling to talented Czech Jakub Mensik in a fifth-set tiebreak, and peaked at world No.167 the following week.
“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to play my first Australian Open main draw, I can’t wait to play in front of the home crowd in Melbourne,” Tristan Schoolkate said.
McCabe, meanwhile, will play the AO main draw for the second year running, after pushing American rising star Alex Michelsen to four sets in the 2024 first round.
The 21-year-old McCabe fell as low as 378th in the rankings, but after winning 55 matches and two ITF titles in 2024, rebounded to the cusp of the top 250.
“As a professional tennis player, my ultimate goal has always been to compete at the highest level and to showcase my skills on the grandest stages of the sport,” James McCabe said.
“Being able to participate in a Grand Slam event in my home country is a dream come true, and I’m incredibly grateful to Tennis Australia for granting me the wildcard. This opportunity not only means the world to me, but it also fills me with a deep sense of pride and excitement. I’m ready to give it my all and represent my country on one of tennis’ biggest platforms.”
The women’s draw has enjoyed an injection of Aussie star power with the presence of Saville and Tomljanovic.
Saville, a former top-20 player who reached the AO fourth round in 2016 and 2017, continued her rise after a serious knee injury derailed her two years ago.
Outside the top 200 in January, Saville was back inside the top 100 by April after reaching the Hobart semifinals and thriving in the US spring season. Inactivity after the US Open caused her ranking to drop, but she ended the season on a high with the Gold Coast Australian Pro Tour title – her first singles trophy since 2017.
“I’m delighted to have another opportunity to compete in the main draw of the Australian Open,” Daria Saville said. “I’d like to thank Tennis Australia for their continued support and allowing me to compete in my home Slam. I am incredibly motivated and working hard to make my way back inside the top 100 and back to my career high ranking of 20. The Australian summer is my favourite time of the year playing at home and hopefully it sets the tone for a strong 2025 season.”
Tomljanovic, a three-time major quarterfinalist, is another player restoring her ranking after serious injury.
She was 292nd to start the season, and missed three months of competition after the Australian Open, but like Saville managed to return to the top 100 after a brilliant grass-court season and by winning the WTA 125K title in Hong Kong.
The former world No.32 has advanced to the second week at all Grand Slam tournaments except the Australian Open – something she’d love to change in 2025.
Joining Saville and Tomljanovic in the women’s main draw are a trio of exciting Aussie rising stars.
Joint, just 18, was one of the biggest risers in 2024. Her ranking exploded upward from No.684 to the cusp of the top 100 during a season in which she won more than 60 matches and reached four finals, winning two.
“It means the world to me to play in the Australian Open main draw for the first time,” Maya Joint said. “A massive thank you to Tennis Australia for making this dream come true. I can’t wait to play my home Slam, and it is extra special for me as my family is from Melbourne. I am so excited to have this opportunity to play in front of them.”
Gibson reached five finals in 2024, at one stage winning three in a row on the Australian Pro Tour in September and October. After starting the season ranked 236th, she peaked at world No.125, winning almost 50 singles matches.
“I am very excited and honoured to receive a main draw wildcard and am so incredibly grateful to Tennis Australia for the opportunity,” Talia Gibson said. “It is a wonderful acknowledgment for all the hard work my team and I have put in throughout the year. I’m really looking forward to starting the year with my favourite Grand Slam and to playing in front of a home crowd.”
Jones, meanwhile, was a revelation, triumphing at the NSW Open – an ITF 75-level event – at just 16 years of age. She is now a top 400-ranked player, having started the year at world No.797.
Jones also became the world No.1 junior after reaching the girls’ singles finals at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon. She closed the year with victory at the prestigious ITF Junior World Tour Finals.
“It’s hard to believe I will be playing my first Grand Slam match here in Australia. I’m excited, the crowds at the AO junior final this year really blew my mind and I enjoyed every match with this support,” Jones said. “I’m training really hard right now with this opportunity on my mind.”
“Our rising Australian players have delivered inspiring performances throughout the year, showing immense skill, determination, and resilience,” Tennis Australia Chief Performance Officer, Tim Jolley said. “It’s exciting to see their hard work and dedication rewarded with these opportunities to compete at the highest level.
“Ajla and Daria, in particular, have shown incredible courage and persistence in their comebacks from injury, and we’re thrilled to see them back on the big stage. At the same time, the next generation of talent is making waves and capturing the imagination of tennis fans everywhere.
“The Australian Open is the perfect platform for these players to showcase their talent, and we’re confident they’ll seize this opportunity to shine in front of their home crowd.”
Meanwhile, China’s Zhang Shuai and Kasidit Samrej of Thailand have already been granted AO 2025 main draw wildcards after winning the AO Asia-Pacific Wildcard Play-off.
