Tennis and Popular - February 6, 2021

2021 Australian Open: Despite all odds, Grand Slam tennis returns with fans in Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia – The 2021 Australian Open begins on Monday in Melbourne with over 50 players competing with Yonex racquets in the main draw of singles.

Leaders from Team Yonex
World No. 3 Naomi Osaka (JPN) and World No. 12 Denis Shapovalov (CAN) lead Team Yonex on the women’s and men’s side.

Osaka, the 2019 champion, enters the first major of the year on a 14-match winning streak, which includes her title run at the 2020 US Open.

Shapovalov, who is the youngest player in the top-20, continues to be one of the most exciting, rising stars on tour. The young Canadian faces 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals Champion Jannik Sinner in the first round.

Former Champions Going for #2
Along with Osaka, Stan Wawrinka (SUI) and Angelique Kerber (GER) will be seeking their second Australian Open title at Melbourne Park.

Former World No. 3 Wawrinka, who won his first major in 2014, has been a steady top-20 opponent since working his way back from injury in 2017.

After being restricted in a “hard quarantine” for 14 days, Kerber faces a new challenge in her 52nd Grand Slam appearance. The 3-time major champion will rely on her experience when she begins play on Monday.

New Look on Court
The 75th Anniversary Collection debuted during the Melbourne Summer Series. The modernized, vintage collection includes apparel, bags, footwear, and accessories connecting a sense of nostalgia from the 1980’s with innovative technologies and materials.

Official Partner of the Australian Open
The Yonex Stringing Team is the Official Stringing Team of the Australian Open for the 6th-straight year. The 2021 team consists of 26 stringers from six countries and is dedicated to providing the world standard of racquet stringing and is supported by the Made-in-Japan PRECISION 9.0 and ProTech 8 Deluxe machines that excel in precision stringing.

Team Yonex
Men
Frances Tiafoe (USA) | VCORE PRO / POLTOUR PRO
[17] Stan Wawrinka (SUI) | VCORE PRO / 75th Anniversary Collection / ECLIPSION 2
Marton Fucsovics (HUN) | EZONE / POLTOUR PRO
Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) | VCORE / POLYTOUR SPIN / 75th Anniversary Collection / FUSIONREV 4
Alexander Bublik (KAZ) | EZONE / POLTOUR PRO
Kamil Majchrzak (POL) | VCORE / POLTOUR PRO
Marcos Giron (USA) | VCORE
Nick Kyrgios (AUS) | EZONE / POLTOUR PRO
[11] Denis Shapovalov (CAN) | VCORE / POLYTOUR STRIKE
[24] Casper Ruud (NOR) | EZONE / POLYTOUR SPIN, PRO / 75th Anniversary Collection / ECLIPSION 3
Radu Albot (MDA) | VCORE / POLYTOUR STRIKE / 75th Anniversary Collection / ECLIPSION 3
Lloyd Harris (RSA) | EZONE / POLTOUR PRO
[26] Hubert Hurkacz (POL) | VCORE PRO / 75th Anniversary Collection / ECLIPSION 3
Ricardas Berankis (LTU) | VCORE PRO / POLYTOUR STRIKE / 75th Anniversary Collection / ECLIPSION 3
Sumit Nagal (IND) | VCORE
Tomas Machac (CZE) | VCORE SV / POLYTOUR FIRE
Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) | VCORE PRO