Frances Tiafoe has returned for the season’s first Slam at the Australian Open with a quest to enhance his resume outside the US. The American star, however, will face challenging competition from rivals on his way to the title decider. For this singles opening tie, he will lock horns with Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech at Melbourne Park on Monday, January 13.

Let’s dive into the details of this match.

Tiafoe vs. Rinderknech: Preview

The 17th seed arrives in Melbourne on the back of a premature exit at the season-opening Brisbane International. Despite showcasing formidable strength in the ATP 250 event’s first round, the American couldn’t record a similar showing against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. He lost the second-round contest in straight sets.

Rinderknech suffered a similar fate after launching his 2025 tour-level campaign at Adelaide International. The Frenchman faced major resistance against Aussie Christopher O’Connell in the event’s opening clash. He found valiantly throughout the contest but eventually lost the rubber in a tight two-set thriller.

Tiafoe vs. Rinderknech: Head-to-Head

Both players have locked horns only once on the ATP Tour, with their recent encounter witnessed at last year’s Lyon Open where the Frenchman emerged victorious in straight sets. As a result, Rinderknech leads their head-to-head 1-0, with their second clash scheduled at the Australian Open on Monday.

• Lyon Open, R16: Rinderknech 7-6(7), 6-4

Prediction: Tiafoe to win in four sets

Tiafoe, although a fierce competitor, struggled to register noteworthy wins outside of the US last year. He reached the last eight of any tournament outside of his home country only thrice and couldn’t secure a semifinal outside of the US at all. The American superstar holds a 33-26 win-loss record in 2024, with his best results coming at the New York Slam where he reached the last four for the second time in three years and finishing finalist in Cincinnati.

Having finished inside the top 20 for the third consecutive year, Big Foe’s supreme hold over aggressive on-court powerplay is a no-brainer. His strong service and groundstrokes often overpower rivals who are unable to form a defense strategy to outplay his flat-shot game style. However, Tiafoe’s best results at Melbourne Park came when he reached the quarterfinals of a Major in 2019. Since then, the American player hasn’t been able to replicate or surpass that result.

Meanwhile, Rinderknech’s showing in the 2024 season was rather average. The French sensation endured a slow start to the year after suffering back-to-back losses and reaching the semifinal of the Atlanta Open was his best result at any tour-level event. Other than reaching the last eight of the Lyon Open and Open 13 Marseille, Rinderknech has nothing to show for last year’s calendar season. He suffered a second-round exit at every Slam except the Australian Open where he exited in the opening tie.

The Frenchman’s best result in Melbourne came in 2022 when he reached the second round on his main draw debut. Posting a 21-22 win-loss record for the season, Rinderknech’s chances against the American star are likely slim. Though a deep run for Tiafoe remains uncertain for now, he should be able to advance against his opening-round rival given his recent struggles.

Who do you think will win this match? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.