Atlanta, United States, 22 July 2024 | Dan Imhoff

As Australia’s Olympic tennis team makes a return to clay in Paris, Jordan Thompson heads a five-strong contingent of compatriots switching to North American hard courts this week in Atlanta.

The world No.40, a quarterfinalist three years ago, is making his fifth appearance at the ATP 250 event, where his compatriots have scooped the trophy in three of the past seven years.

Two years ago, Alex de Minaur collected his second Atlanta crown, three years after his first, while Nick Kyrgios triumphed in 2016 over six-time champion John Isner.

Thompson, who reached his first ATP 500 semifinal at the Queen’s Club with wins over the likes of Holger Rune and Taylor Fritz on the eve of Wimbledon, was relishing a return to US hard courts.

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“The big goal this year was to be top 32, but that just means to be seeded at a slam and that’s great. I got to 32 but I didn’t get seeded for a slam. Yeah, that’s the real goal,” Thompson said.

“We’re coming off the grass going into the hard court in America – Newport and Atlanta, it’s their last years… I mean, we have been in Europe this whole time playing on grass. Then we’re going into hard court. For me, it’s just a tough schedule (to add the Olympics)… For me, I’m defending quarters of Washington. I’m trying to get seeded at a Grand Slam… Yeah, that’s all it is, really. Just schedule and the wrong surface for me.”

Following the heartache of losing the Wimbledon doubles final alongside compatriot Max Purcell, having held three championship points, the pair reunites this week as top seeds in the doubles in Atlanta, where they reached the final last year.

Both are seeded in singles where fourth seed Thompson awaits the winner of world No.88 and fellow Aussie, Thanasi Kokkinakis, and Croatian Borna Coric, while eighth seed Purcell opens against compatriot Chris O’Connell.

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The 84^th-ranked Coric is unbeaten in three meetings against his South Australian opponent – all on hard courts – including the Davis Cup semifinals two years ago.

O’Connell claimed the honours in his only prior meeting with fellow Sydneysider Purcell in the opening round of last year’s US Open.

In 2023, Aleksandar Vukic reached his first tour-level semifinal and final back-to-back before he came up short of becoming the fourth Australian champion in Atlanta against Fritz.

The world No.65 will face world No.145 Mattia Bellucci, an Italian who qualified for his second straight event, having done so at Wimbledon.

On the heels of a win over fellow Aussie Ajla Tomljanovic for her first WTA quarterfinal since 2022 in Palermo last week, Astra Sharma makes her Prague main draw debut on Monday when she meets sixth seed Magdalena Frech in the opening round.

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