Fritz, Gauff, Pegula lead Americans on 2023 Australian Open entry list

A total of 27 Americans are on the first acceptance list for January's Australian Open, with Top 10 starts Taylor Fritz, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula expected to lead the way for U.S. efforts at the year's first Grand Slam.

World No. 3, and two-time Australian Open quarterfinalist, Pegula and No. 7 Gauff lead 14 American women in the field, while No. 9 Fritz tops a group of 13 American men. Caty McNally and Ben Shelton bookend the American acceptances. 

Late-season surges for both McNally and Shelton have earned them direct acceptances. Though both won the USTA's Australian Open Wild Card Play-off by virtue of accumulating the most ranking points on the back of strong results this fall, their current respective rankings of No. 93 and No. 97 are high enough to get them in directly. 

As a result, second-place men's finisher Chris Eubanks, and third-place women's finisher Taylor Townsend, are expected to receive the USTA's reciprocal wild card. (Madison Brengle, the second-place women's finisher, is also ranked high enough for direct entry.)

The full list of Americans accepted to the field can be found below.

2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin is one of 11 women using an injury-protected ranking to enter the field. Currently ranked No. 240 after a stop-and-start 2022 thanks to a foot injury, Kenin is entered with a protected ranking of No. 4.

U.S. Men at the 2023 Australian Open

Taylor Fritz - No. 9

Frances Tiafoe - No. 19

Tommy Paul - No. 32

Sebastian Korda - No. 33

Maxime Cressy - No. 34

Reilly Opelka - No. 38

John Isner - No. 41

Brandon Nakashima - No. 47

Jenson Brooksby - No. 48

Marcos Giron - No. 61

Mackenzie McDonald - No. 63

J.J. Wolf - No. 66

Ben Shelton - No. 97

U.S. Women at the 2023 Australian Open

Jessica Pegula - No. 3

Sofia Kenin - No. 4*

Coco Gauff - No. 7

Madison Keys - No. 11

Danielle Collins - No. 14

Amanda Anisimova - No. 23

Sloane Stephens - No. 37

Alison Riske-Amritraj - No. 41

Bernarda Pera - No. 44

Shelby Rogers - No. 46

Madison Brengle - No. 59

Claire Liu - No. 61

Lauren Davis - No. 87

Caty McNally - No. 93