Grand Slam tennis is again.
The Australian Open is upon us in Melbourne because the world’s greatest set their sights on the primary of 4 prestigious majors on the tennis calendar.
Whereas we Canadians will undergo via damp, dreary climate, and frigid temperatures, 256 singles gamers will take care of the sweltering warmth of the Aussie summer season.
Novak Djokovic has his eyes locked in on extra historical past, Naomi Osaka makes her much-anticipated return, whereas Canadian Leylah Fernandez seems to be to construct upon an incredible fall season.
Listed here are six storylines to observe because the 2024 Australian Open will get underway:
Can anybody cease Djokovic?
Daring to wager in opposition to Novak Djokovic in Melbourne appears akin to wagering in opposition to American Michael Phelps in a swimming pool.
Sure, it’s conceivable he is not going to be the winner, however his sustained dominance on the occasion provides him a monumental edge mentally over the remainder of the sector.
Consider his peak bodily health on the spry age of 36, his sheer brilliance at putting a tennis ball, and the whole absence of any discernible weak point in his sport, and you’ve got essentially the most prolific champion in males’s tennis.
Djokovic lives and breathes profitable.
He was 27-1 at Grand Slam occasions final season, solely arising shy within the Wimbledon remaining in a five-set, 4-hour, 42-minute duel with Spanish hotshot Carlos Alcaraz.
Djokovic is a 10-time champion right here in Australia, and his document at Rod Laver Enviornment is 75-7.
“My favorite place, little doubt,” stated Djokovic in his pre-tournament press convention.
“The court docket the place I’ve performed nice issues and achieved my biggest Grand Slam outcomes.”
The world No. 1 did expertise a minor wrist damage on the United Cup to open the season and suffered a straight-sets loss to Alex de Minaur.
The minor hiccup ought to do little to detract from his possibilities, as he’s appeared a lot explosive and free in follow all week.
With a beneficial attract entrance of him, avoiding harmful opponents like Holger Rune or Alexander Zverev in his quarter, Djokovic has his eyes set on a document twenty fifth profession main.
A title right here and he would surpass Australian Margaret Court docket for many singles majors in tennis historical past.
He’ll open within the first spherical in opposition to 18-year-old Dino Prizmic of Croatia.
Sinner, Medvedev lurk as contenders
Jannik Sinner made important strides final season as a marquee participant on the lads’s circuit, breaking inside the highest 5 of the rankings, profitable his first Masters 1000 occasion in Toronto on the Nationwide Financial institution Open, putting runner-up on the ATP Finals and main his nation to a historic Davis Cup title.
The svelte and quiet Italian possesses ruthless and simple baseline energy off each wings, has elite sliding capabilities and defends the court docket about in addition to anyone.
The subsequent activity and objective forward is to win a Grand Slam.
Sinner has but to have his breakthrough, together with his deepest run coming at Wimbledon final season when he reached the semifinals.
In Melbourne final yr, he fell simply quick in a five-set showdown to eventual finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas within the spherical of 16.
There’s little to doubt within the 22-year-old’s elite ability set, which is additional buoyed by a strong serve and improved internet sport.
The subsequent query Sinner should reply is the power to face up to the psychological and bodily problem of best-of-five over a full two weeks.
It’s a attribute of Daniil Medvedev’s sport, which makes him a confirmed contender to win in Melbourne this yr.
One of many world’s most elite hard-court gamers, The Octopus returns Down Beneath together with his sights set on one other Grand Slam trophy.
It’s been over two years since he gained his first and solely main, a title on the U.S. Open.
He’s hoisted the runner-up trophy many occasions since — in Flushing Meadows final summer season, he was denied within the finals by Novak Djokovic.
Twice in Melbourne, he’s misplaced within the remaining: as soon as to Rafael Nadal in 2022 and one other time to Djokovic in 2021.
The Russian went 47-12 on hard-court final season with 4 titles and 4 runner-up finishes. Might one other run be in retailer?
Carlitos crashes the celebration
Early final season, an premature damage thwarted Carlos Alcaraz’s plans to play in Melbourne.
He injured his hamstring in coaching simply upfront of the Australian Open, forcing his withdrawal, and finally resulting in the conceding of his world No. 1 rating to Novak Djokovic.
The pair would change fingers of the highest rating spot all through the season — Alcaraz reclaimed the mantle in March after his title in Indian Wells, let it slip solely two weeks later when he misplaced in Miami, bought again on prime of the tennis world by profitable Wimbledon, however finally succumbed to the No. 2 spot as Djokovic was victorious at Flushing Meadows, and moreover defended his crown on the Nitto ATP Finals.
Carlitos was crystal clear about his targets heading into Australia this season.
“Attain the ultimate and play Novak Djokovic,” stated the charismatic 20-year-old Spaniard.
“I would like that.”
Alcaraz has already set Open Period data, and his greatness at such an early age is eerily paying homage to a younger Rafael Nadal when he burst onto the tennis scene by profitable the French Open again in 2005.
The Spaniard already has two slams however lacks a little bit of expertise in Melbourne.
He’s solely performed the occasion twice and has by no means superior previous the third spherical.
He’ll play his opening spherical match Monday evening in opposition to veteran Frenchman Richard Gasquet.
Sabalenka hopes to defend, Rybakina in her sights
As American soccer nice Mia Hamm as soon as stated: “It’s harder to remain on prime than to get there.”
Such is the problem forward for 25-year-old Aryna Sabalenka, who bought to the very prime of the ladies’s sport final season, initially profitable her maiden slam in Australia on the entrance finish of the yr, after which reaching the world No. 1 rating later in the summertime, ending runner-up on the U.S. Open.
Whereas Iga Swiatek did reclaim the highest spot within the rankings later within the fall, Sabalenka has confirmed herself to be one of many elite stars of the game.
Her model of insatiable energy baseline tennis, backed by a fiery and vocal depth, makes her maybe essentially the most intimidating opponent on the circuit.
Now returning to Melbourne, she’s introduced with the problem of defending final yr’s breakthrough win.
It’s apparent Sabalenka and her group are maintaining it gentle and unfastened forward of the Open.
If she handles her feelings in the fitting means, she’ll have a robust alternative to turn out to be the primary girls’s participant to defend her title in Melbourne since fellow Belarusian Victoria Azarenka 11 years in the past.
In the meantime, one in all her foremost rivals arrives Down Beneath in tremendous kind.
Elena Rybakina, final yr’s runner-up, bought the higher of Sabalenka within the opening event of the yr. Rybakina shocked Sabalenka with a 6-0, 6-3 thrashing within the finals to win the Brisbane Worldwide occasion.
It was the sixth WTA title of Rybakina’s profession, and the tall Kazakhstani took an enormous step ahead final season when it comes to rating and high quality of play.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion gained the primary of two profession WTA1000s, first rising victorious in Miami after which hoisting the trophy on the clay in Rome.
Rybakina has an identical power-baseline model to Sabalenka, although she hits flatter, serves even higher (she hit 455 aces final season) and has made noticeable enhancements in her return sport.
She’s additionally confirmed herself as a big-match performer — she’s gained eight of her final 9 matches in opposition to prime three opponents.
Inside the highest three of the rankings herself, Rybakina is a robust contender for a second profession main in Melbourne.
Gauff, Swiatek compete for glory; Osaka makes long-awaited return
Is there anybody cooler than Coco Gauff?
The teenage sensation caught the tennis world by storm final summer season, profitable her maiden slam on dwelling soil on the U.S. Open, and changing into the primary American teenager to win at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams again in 1999.
Gauff’s magnetic vitality, elite athleticism and fearless willpower on court docket have all the weather of a future generational champion.
The sport model can be world-class tennis, with Gauff’s distinctive motion that stands alone on the prime of the ladies’s sport, whereas her blistering two-handed backhand wing that she’s comfy unloading at any time can catch any opponent off guard.
Gauff is already quick out of the gates in 2024 — she defended her title in on the ASB Traditional by profitable her seventh profession singles title.
Now a second profession main is inside her grasp.
Whereas Gauff eyes a second slam, it’s world No. 1 Iga Swiatek who’s on the hunt for a fourth.
The 22-year-old has gained a serious in three of the final 4 seasons on tour and was WTA Participant of the Yr for a second consecutive time in 2023.
Swiatek is solely a title-winning machine.
She’s racked up 17 singles trophies since October 2020 and completed final season by profitable the China Open, the end-of-year WTA Finals in Guadalajara and reclaiming her prime spot within the rankings.
She additionally opened this yr with 5 singles victories on the United Cup group competitors, as her nation of Poland completed runner-up to Germany, and has a match-winning streak of 16.
It’s evident she feels unfastened and relaxed in Melbourne, visiting espresso outlets across the metropolis.
Swiatek’s greatest end in Australia was a semifinal look in 2022 — she’ll meet 2020 champion Sofia Kenin in a high-octane, first-round match.
Two-time Aussie Open winner Naomi Osaka has additionally made her return to the tour after taking 2023 off to have her first baby.
The 26-year-old mom is a four-time grand slam champion and coming into the sector unseeded, she’s as harmful as anyone to make a possible run in Melbourne.
She’ll play her first-round match Monday in opposition to the sixteenth seed, Caroline Garcia.
Emma Raducanu, the 2021 U.S. Open winner, can be again after an extended damage layoff whereas three-time main winner Angelique Kerber returns after a year-and-a-half-long hiatus from the tour.
Caroline Wozniacki, the 2018 Australian Open champ, can even be competing in Melbourne for the primary time in 4 years.
Fernandez hopes to hold over BJK Cup momentum, Raonic is again
Six Canadians are set to compete Down Beneath this yr with 5 in singles and one in doubles.
Leylah Fernandez will lead the cost on the ladies’s facet and arrives in Melbourne on the heels of a robust fall season.
She gained her third profession WTA title in October on the Hong Kong Open whereas in group competitors, she helped carry Canada to a first-ever Billie Jean King Cup title in November.
Fernandez has gained 13 of her final 15 matches, and the left-hander’s early-strike floor strokes, savvy internet play, and psychological resolve will likely be her relied-upon strengths as she heads into the primary main of the season.
The 21-year-old is the thirty second seed this yr squared up in opposition to qualifier Sara Bejlek of Czechia within the opening spherical, profitable 7-6 (5), 6-2.
Elsewhere, Toronto’s Rebecca Marino certified for Melbourne with three match wins for a second consecutive yr.
She has a tricky first-round draw in opposition to world No. 6 Jessica Pegula.
The world No. 7 in doubles Gaby Dabrowski will again the Canadian girls in doubles alongside accomplice Erin Routliffe, who was born in Caledon, Ont.
The duo gained final yr’s U.S. Open doubles crown and a second title on the Zhengzhou Open.
On the lads’s facet, Felix Auger-Aliassime is the top-ranked Canadian and whereas 2023 was a forgettable one for the previous world No. 6, he’ll look to rebuild his kind and rating this yr.
Auger-Aliassime did seize one title on the tail-end of final season, defending his crown on the Swiss Indoors event in Basel.
He meets former grand slam winner Dominic Thiem in a tantalizing first-round affair.
Denis Shapovalov will compete in his first main since struggling a knee damage eventually yr’s Wimbledon.
The time without work tour has seen the Canadian slip outdoors the highest 100 of the rankings — he meets qualifier Jakub Mensik in his opening-round match.
Huge-serving Milos Raonic is ready to make his twelfth profession look on the Australian Open and first since 2021.
Raonic spent two years off the circuit rehabbing from damage earlier than returning final June on grass and notably reached the fourth spherical on the Nationwide Financial institution Open in Toronto.
He’ll face off in opposition to the home-favourite Alex de Minaur within the opening spherical.
