The first grand slam of 2021 got under way as a monumental logistical effort to get the Australian Open on paid off.
There were routine wins for Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Dominic Thiem and Simona Halep, though 10th seed Gael Monfils was the biggest casualty of the day.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the first day's action.
Picture of the day
Quote of the day
The elder Williams sister explained how she still puts tennis first aged 40 after winning in what was her 88th main draw match at a grand slam.
Tweet of the day
Shot of the day
Nick Kyrgios was just doing Nick Kyrgios things during his routine first-round win over Portuguese qualifier Frederico Ferreira Silva.
Serena can't banish like Brady
When Bianca Andreescu won the 2019 US Open as an 18-year-old she had the tennis world at her feet, but just a month later she suffered a knee injury. Fifteen months later she finally made her comeback, beating Mihaela Buzarnescu 6-2 4-6 6-3. She admitted to having tears the night before her long-awaited return. She said: "Last night I did cry, and I'm not afraid to say that because everyone cries sometimes. But it's a good release for me because in my head, all I was thinking about were the last 15 months and how tough they were, and they were tough for many reasons."
Fallen seeds
Women: Angelique Kerber (23), Alison Riske (24)
Men: Gael Monfils (10), Benoit Paire (25)
Who's up next?
There is plenty of British interest on day two as Johanna Konta, Fran Jones and Heather Watson begin their campaigns in the women's draw while Dan Evans, fresh from winning his first ATP Tour title in the build-up, faces fellow Brit Cameron Norrie.
Rafael Nadal begins his quest for a record 21st grand slam – and first Australian Open since 2009 – against Laslo Djere, while 2020 women's champion Sofia Kenin begins her title defence against Maddison Inglis.
