Aussie Watch: Six Australians embark on Queen’s journey
A large Australian contingent will take to the court at Queen's Club, headlining a plethora of players looking to gain form prior to Wimbledon.
Melbourne, VIC, 16 June 2025 | Jackson Mansell
Six Australian men will compete at Queen’s Club this week as they continue to ramp up their Wimbledon preparation.
Alex de Minaur, Alexei Popyrin and Jordan Thompson, along with qualifiers Aleksandar Vukic and Alex Bolt, feature in singles action.
Meanwhile, Matt Ebden, playing with Thompson for the second straight week, joins De Minaur and Popyrin as all-Aussie combinations in the doubles draw.
> READ: Aussie powerhouses Ebden and Thompson win ‘s-Hertogenbosch
On the WTA circuit this week, Daria Kasatkina leads the Aussie charge in the Berlin WTA 500 singles field, battling Chinese No.2 Wang Xinyu first up; Roland Garros champion Coco Gauff faces the winner.
Kasatkina will also compete in doubles alongside Croatian Donna Vekic, where she is joined in the doubles field by fellow Aussies Ellen Perez and Storm Hunter.
In Nottingham, Kimberly Birrell represents represents the green and gold and hopes to build on her quarterfinal appearance from last year. She opposes second seed Clara Tauson in her opener.
De Minaur leads the charge in London in what will be his first grasscourt tournament of 2025. The 2023 Queen’s finalist hopes to build on his already-impressive season, during which he’s built a 27-11 singles record.
De Minaur will have a double dose of Jiri Lehecka in the opening round, playing against the Czech singles No.3 in singles and doubles.
The 26-year-old pairs up with Popyrin to take on Lehecka and singles world No.4 Taylor Fritz.
Popyrin’s singles campaign begins with an all-Australian showdown against Vukic. After a hiccup against eventual finalist Zizou Bergs in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the world No.21 aims to translate his claycourt form onto grass, in time for Wimbledon on 30 June.
Bolt has qualified for his first ATP tournament in 11 months after he defeated compatriot Chris O’Connell in the final round of qualifying. Bolt opens his campaign against local Jacob Fearnley.
Thompson rounds out the Australian first-round matchups at Queen’s against Spaniard Jaume Munar. Carlos Alcaraz potentially awaits Thompson if he progresses.
Aussies in men’s singles: Alex de Minaur (World No.12), Alexei Popyrin (World No.21), Jordan Thompson (World No.37), Aleksandar Vukic (World No.83), Alex Bolt (World No.194)
Aussies in men’s doubles: Matt Ebden/Jordan Thompson, Alex de Minaur/Alexei Popyrin
Aussies in women’s singles: Daria Kasatkina (World No.16)
Aussies in women’s doubles: Ellen Perez (with Chan Hao-Ching), Storm Hunter (with Desirae Krawczyk), Daria Kasatkina (with Donna Vekic)
Aussies in women’s singles: Kimberly Birrell (World No.79)
Find your way to play: Visit play.tennis.com.au to hit the court and have some fun!