Novak Djokovic said the way he fought back after losing the opening set of his first-round match bodes well in his quest for an 11th Australian Open title and record 25th Grand Slam crown.
With new coach Andy Murray watching on, the 37-year-old Djokovic was flat-footed early on against American wildcard Nishesh Basavareddy before winning in four sets.
The 19-year-old Basavareddy, who was making his Grand Slam main draw debut, stunned Djokovic by clinching the first set.
But the Serbian slowly began to get his measure, battling through 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 with Murray sitting quietly courtside on Rod Laver Arena in one of the newly introduced "coaching pods".
The win put the seventh seed into the second round in Melbourne for an 18th consecutive year.
"As far as my performance, I didn't start really well," he said.
"I kind of had opportunities to come back towards the end of the first but I was probably a bit too passive from the back of the court. He was dictating the play.
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Djokovic hired long-time rival Murray, who retired last year, to help him get back to winning ways after a lean 2024 where he failed to collect a major for the first time since 2017.
While he earned Olympic gold, the Slams were dominated by Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
The Serb said it was great having Murray in his corner during the match.
SINNER RELIEF AT WARM WELCOME
World No 1 Jannik Sinner said he was relieved at his warm welcome despite a doping controversy as he powered into the second round with a hard-fought win over Nicolas Jarry.
The 23-year-old defending champion is favourite to lift the trophy again at Melbourne Park after a sensational 2024 saw him become the top-ranked player in men's tennis.
He carried that form into his first match of the season on Rod Laver Arena, grinding past the big-hitting Chilean 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 to clock his 16th straight Tour-level win.
Sinner was playing his first match since the Court of Arbitration for Sport last week announced it would hear an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency in April over a drugs scandal that rocked the Italian last year.
He tested positive twice for the steroid clostebol in March but said the drug entered his system when his physio used a spray containing it for a cut on his own hand, then treated the player.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted the explanation and exonerated him, only for Wada to appeal. Wada is seeking a ban of up to two years.
Sinner was greeted by applause from the Melbourne crowd when he walked on court and big cheers when he won.
"I was curious to see how it was. You never know what's happening," he said about the reception.
"I was happy about the crowd. It was a very nice crowd. There were some for my opponent and some for me. It was a nice atmosphere.
"I was just looking forward to go on court. This is why I practice for, no? I'm trying to compete in the best possible way."
Sinner was unbeaten since losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the Beijing final in October and had won his last 13 matches in straight sets.
But the Chilean Jarry put up a fight, saving set point at 5-6 in the first and taking it to a tiebreak, where Sinner switched up a gear to race through and seal it with an ace.
It was a similar story in set two, with neither player able to break serve and Sinner again coming good when it mattered in the tiebreaker.
Jarry's resolve was broken with Sinner racing to a 3-0 lead in the third and cruising home.
ALCARAZ MAKES FAST START
Carlos Alcaraz launched his bid for a first Australian Open crown by dismantling Kazakhstan's Alexander Shevchenko in straight sets.
Spain's Alcaraz, playing his first match of the season, suffered a couple of hairy moments in Melbourne before easing through 6-1, 7-5, 6-1.
"There is no secret, I work, I try to be better every day," said Alcaraz, who is bidding to complete a career Grand Slam of all four majors aged just 21.
"I am trying to be a better person and player every day," added the Spaniard, who faces Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka in the second round.
The four-time major champion and world No 3 Alcaraz romped through the first set in barely half an hour in a signal of intent.
The 77th-ranked Shevchenko put up a much sterner fight in the second set.
Alcaraz got the break of serve to take a 3-1 lead only for the Kazakh to break back and then hold for 3-3.
The emboldened 24-year-old then stunned the Melbourne crowd by breaking the third seed to edge ahead.
Shevchenko served for the second set but Alcaraz, who has never gone beyond the last eight at the first major of the year, upped the ante to break back for 5-5.
He took the second set in just under an hour with another break of serve when Shevchenko planted his return under pressure into the net.
With Shevchenko's spirit broken, Alcaraz eased to victory in one hour and 54 minutes.
"This is a tournament I really want to win one day, hopefully this year," he said.
KYRGIOS BEATEN
A downbeat Nick Kyrgios said that his short-lived return to Melbourne Park might have been his last singles appearance at the Australian Open.
The combustible home hero was grimacing from an abdominal injury and fired expletives at his coaching box as he was bundled out by Britain's Jacob Fearnley 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) on his favourite John Cain Arena.
"Realistically I can't really see myself probably playing singles again here," a crestfallen Kyrgios, 29, told reporters.
"I didn't want to just throw in the towel and walk off or retire.
"I was hurting physically. I respect my opponent. The fans waited hours to come see me play."
Fearnley managed to subdue Melbourne's notoriously noisy night crowd with a controlled victory over the 2022 Wimbledon finalist.
"I'm sorry for Nick," said Fearnley. "I could tell he was dealing with some stuff."
The Australian only made his comeback after 18 months out in Brisbane earlier this month following knee surgery and wrist reconstruction.
Kyrgios withdrew from an exhibition match against Novak Djokovic four days ago with an abdominal strain, raising fresh concerns about his fitness.
The worries were confirmed when, in his first Australian Open match since 2022, Kyrgios spoke to physios multiple times in the second set after wincing in pain while serving.
"With my physical state going into the match, I knew that I was going to be really hindered with my serve," said Kyrgios.
"But just seeing the fans line up for four, five hours, just the amount of people that were there supporting me, it was hard to kind of throw the towel in.
"Would have been really easy to kind of just roll over.
"It's obviously heartbreaking because I feel like my level's there," added Kyrgios, who confirmed that he would still play doubles with fellow Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis.
"We've won this event before. We owe it to each other I think to go out there in front of the crowd and have a bit of fun."
TSITSIPAS FALLS
Two-time Grand Slam runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas said "it sucks" after being on the end of the first big upset, with the worst part having to hang around before his next tournament.
The 11th-seeded Greek, who played Novak Djokovic in the 2023 final at Melbourne Park, crashed out 7-5, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 to American Alex Michelsen in the first round.
"The most frustrating part about losing in the first round of a Grand Slam is that you have way too much time to recover, and I would rather have the other way around where I don't have enough time to recover," he said.
"Honestly that's much, much better in terms of problem-solving.
"It just sucks in a way that I'll be hanging around for quite a while now before my next tournament comes in.
"With my competitive nature, I feel like these type of things are not really ideal for me."
Tsitsipas never looked comfortable against the 20-year-old, who had him running all over the court.
TIAFOE VOMITS ON COURT
Frances Tiafoe admitted it was touch and go whether he would carry on after vomiting on court during a testing five-set win.
The American was sick just behind the baseline and again on the edge of the court at a crunch moment at 5-6 in the fourth set against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech.
He managed to continue and came through 7-6 (7/2), 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3 in 4hr 8min.
"Honestly, when I threw up, I felt like, returning 5-6, I could be out of here in two minutes, out of here in five minutes," he said.
"I think if it was, you know, any other event, I probably would have let it go. But here, you got to lay it all on the line."
Tiafoe, a two-time US Open semifinalist, was playing in the middle of the day in hot weather, but he laid the blame at being over-hydrated rather than the heat.
"I threw up all electrolytes and water. Wasn't like food in the tank was the issue. Neither was the heat, really," he said.
Tiafoe, the 17th seed, will next meet Hungary's Fabian Marozsan, who also battled through a five-setter.