Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic, women’s and men’s singles top seeds, began their Brisbane International 2025 campaign on a positive note at the Pat Rafter Arena on Tuesday.
The Belarusian steamrolled her Mexican opponent Renata Zarazua 6-4, 6-0 in 65 minutes.
“The first match is always a tricky one,” Sabalenka said.
“It was a tricky start for me but I’m glad that I closed it out in the first set, and in the second set I felt like whatever I tried to do, it would work for me.
“So I’m really happy for the first win of the season.”
The World No.1 will next take on Kazakh’s Yulia Putintseva. She clinched a 6-2, 7-5 win over American Mccartney Kessler.
Djokovic, meanwhile, defeated Australia’s Rinky Hijikata 6-3, 6-3 in the R32 clash. It was his first appearance in 16 years at the ATP 250 tournament.
“I always expect myself to do well on the court,” Djokovic said. “Obviously, a win is a win. To start off the new season with a win is very important.
“I think Hijikata deserves a great round of applause for his performance. He was really, really good. He made me work definitely for the win tonight.”
Kyrgios, making a comeback following wrist reconstruction and other injuries over the past couple of years, went down 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-3) to Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in almost 150 minutes.
He will continue to bid for a title on return with Djokovic in the men’s doubles event on Wednesday.