Complete list of players using Protected Ranking at Australian Open 2025 ft. Nick Kyrgios, Belinda Bencic, Reilly Opelka
The Australian Open 2025 will kick off on January 12, and players are already gearing up for it. Entry fields for the various lead-up tournaments were recently released, and now the entry list for the season's first Major is out as well. When it comes to the Major Down Under, aside from the current crop of top players, there will be quite a few familiar faces making a comeback after a hiatus.
12 players have used their protected ranking to directly enter the main draw of the Australian Open 2025. On the men's side, Nick Kyrgios, Reilly Opelka, Pablo Carreno Busta, Kei Nishikori, Jenson Brooksby, and Dominic Stricker have made use of it.
Belinda Bencic, Caty McNally, Zheng Saisai, Jodie Burrage, Danka Kovinic, and Julia Grabher are the six WTA players to have gained main draw acceptance through this method. Protected ranking allows players, who are injured for at least six months, to use the average ranking from the first three months of their injury hiatus to enter tournaments.
Women who are returning from a maternity break are also allowed to utilize this provision. Players are allowed to use their protected ranking for a specific period of time as well. Bencic is the only player who is returning to the tour following the birth of her child earlier this year. She has already been competing on the Challenger circuit since October to get some much-needed matches under her belt.
McNally and Grabher underwent surgeries to treat their respective injuries earlier this year and missed a good chunk of the season. Burrage's ankle injury sidelined her and caused her ranking to fall as well. Zheng returned to the tour this season after a two-year hiatus, and can still enter a few more tournaments using her protected ranking.
Nick Kyrgios set to return to the Australian Open following injury woes over the last two years
Nick Kyrgios has been away from the tour since the end of the 2022 season due to an injury. He contested a solitary match in 2023 at the Boss Open in Stuttgart in June and has been inactive since then.
Kyrgios is now gearing up for his comeback, and aside from using his protected ranking for the Australian Open, he's also set to compete in the Brisbane International prior to that. He hasn't competed in Melbourne since 2022.
Kei Nishikori and Pablo Carreno Busta made sporadic appearances on the tour in 2024 as recurring setbacks didn't allow them to play that often. They're still eligible to use their protected ranking in the coming season and have done the same to enter the Australian Open.
Jenson Brooksby received a suspension after missing three doping tests, though he denied that he was using any banned substances. He also underwent wrist surgery during this period and is now making a return to the tour.
Brooksby hasn't been on the tour since his third-round exit from the Australian Open 2023. Reilly Opelka and Dominic Stricker have already played a few matches this year following their return from an injury break. They will continue their comeback at the season's first Major by using their protected ranking.