Félix Auger-Aliassime will start the Australian Open against his compatriot, Vasek Pospisil.
The sixth-seeded Quebecer has beaten him three times in four career games. Pospisil, a British Columbian, ranks 94th in the world.
Ontarian Denis Shapovalov, 20th seed, will face in the first round the Serbian Dusan Lajovic, 81st at the ATP.
If favorite Rafael Nadal were to cross swords with Serbian Novak Djokovic, the only possibility would be in the final.
The Spaniard is the defending champion of the first stage of the Grand Slam. His first opponent will be the Briton Jack Draper.
Djokovic is the fourth seed.
On the female side
Among the Canadians, Quebecer Leylah Fernandez will have Alizé Cornet as her first rival.
Thirty-ninth in the standings, the 20-year-old Quebecer beat the Frenchwoman in straight sets in their only confrontation two years ago, in Indian Wells. Cornet is 34th.
Bianca Andreescu will first face the Czech Marie Bouzkova, 25th seed.
Queen of Flushing Meadows in 2019, the Ontarian is ranked 42nd in women’s tennis.
Rebecca Marino’s first-round rival will be Lin Zhu of China.
Another representative of the maple leaf joined the group in the main draw on Thursday: Katherine Sebov.
The Torontonian defeated Switzerland’s Simona Waltert 6-3, 6-4 in the final round of qualifying for the first Grand Slam tournament of the season.
Although she was dominated in aces (0-2) and winners (15-18), Sebov only committed two double faults, compared to six for her opponent. In addition, she made 35 unforced errors, 13 less than Waltert.
Sebov, 24, also had 69 percent of the points on her first serve and was broken three of eight times.
She had defeated Czech Linda Noskova and Australian Priscilla Hon in the previous two qualifying rounds. Sebov, who is taking part in the main draw of a major tournament for the first time in his career, will face France’s Caroline Garcia in the first round.
For her part, the favorite Iga Swiatek will first play against Jule Niemeier, from Germany. The Pole was beaten in the semi-finals in Melbourne in 2022.
The tournament will take place from January 16 to 29.