In the pre-quarters, Swiatek will take on last season's Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, who defeated the previous year's runners-up Danielle Collins 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 in their third-round match-up
The three-time Melbourne semifinalist was in command for the entirety of the one-hour, 32-minute matchup with Hijikata. With his aggressive ball-striking, he consistently outmatched the World No. 169, hitting 30 winners on the Rod Laver Arena.
The 36-year-old shared a post on her Instagram captioned 'Life Update' and mentioned that as she draws closer to the culmination of her career as an athlete, new beginnings await her.
Veteran Venus Williams also withdrew her name from the first Grand Slam of the year after suffering an injury at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand.
The historic-high prize pool is a result of a record AUD 76.5 million for the Australian Open 2023 (a 3.4 per cent increase) as well as the addition of the lucrative new United Cup event.