French tennis players Alizé Cornet and Arthur Cazaux have been given wild-card entries for next month’s Australian Open, the French tennis federation said Monday.
Cornet, 33, who is ranked 116th, will participate in the tournament for the 19th time in her career and make a record-extending 68th consecutive appearance at a major. She reached the quarterfinals for the first time in Melbourne last year — her best achievement at any major.
Cazaux, 21, is ranked 130th after climbing from 381st at the start of the year, and he goes into main draw first time at the Jan. 15-28 tournament.
Cazaux has shown promise by winning one challenger series title and reaching three other challenger finals in 2023 — losing one of them to three-time major winner Andy Murray on grass at the Nottingham Open in June.
The wild-card deal is part of a swap arrangement with the Australian tennis federation, which will also receive wild cards for the clay-court French Open, to be held at Roland Garros from May 26-June 9.