The Australian Open 2019 will of course be led by world number one Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep.
The best 101 men and 102 women have assured their participation – only the retired Agnieszka Radwanska is missing in the Ladys field.
Serena Williams, currently ranked 16th in the world. She won in Melbourne in 2016, although she was already pregnant, and then took her baby break. In 2017 Caroline Wozniacki followed her as winner.
Via Protected Ranking: Timea Bacsinszky, Laura Siegemund and Bethanie Mattek-Sands. From a German point of view, the main field is secure: Angelique Kerber (winner 2016), Julia Görges, Andrea Petkovic, Tatjana Maria and Mona Barthel.
Lucie Safarova, who will be retiring after the Melbourne tournament, is currently in fourth place on the Alternates list – four players would have to cancel to get the Czech right into the main draw, otherwise she will have to go through qualifying.
In the men’s singles the field will be led by Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, defending champion Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev, with Andy Murray, Janko Tipsarevic and Steve Darcis in the Protected Ranking. Still in the field: Evergreen Ivo Karlovic, with almost 40 years.
Dominic Thiem is the only Austrian starter in the main field, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Jan-Lennard Struff, Peter Gojowczyk, Mischa Zverev and Maximilian Marterer are also sure to be among the German men.
Jack Sock, one year ago still in the top ten of the world and currently number 107, has to hope for cancellations after his critical year 2018 – he is currently ranked fifth.