MELBOURNE – Novak Djokovic will bring his simmering rivalry with two young guns to the Jan 14-28 Australian Open, where his hunt for a record-extending 11th title and 25th Grand Slam crown carries an air of inevitability despite an early loss in 2024.
The 36-year-old defied the odds to clinch the trophy in 2023, overcoming a ruptured hamstring and a distracting political row involving his father, before going past Rafael Nadal’s tally of 22 Slams when he won at the French Open.
He claimed a third Slam late last season at the US Open – but not before being denied the Wimbledon title by the 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in a blockbuster five-set final, a result which was briefly heralded as the dawn of a new era.
Jannik Sinner, 22, emerged as another contender to carry the torch by defeating Djokovic twice in three meetings in 11 days at the ATP Finals and Davis Cup, and the young duo will sniff an opportunity to dethrone the world No. 1 at his fortress.
Boris Becker, who previously coached Djokovic, believes the current crop of youngsters will test him more frequently.
“I still expect Djokovic to win a Grand Slam or two. But I also believe Alcaraz and Co will more often throw a spanner in the works,” said the six-time Slam champion, who now coaches Denmark’s young Holger Rune, Djokovic’s conqueror in the 2022 Paris Masters final.
“I hope this rivalry between the most successful player of all time and the rest of the tennis world continues for a long time, because we fans and amateur players benefit from it.”
But Djokovic is not invincible.
The Serb, who missed the 2022 Australian Open due to being deported over his Covid-19 vaccine stance, was hampered by a wrist issue at the United Cup last week and saw his 43-match winning run in Australia snapped by Alex de Minaur.
It was his first defeat in the country since a fourth-round loss to South Korea’s Chung Hyeon at the 2018 Australian Open, where he was plagued by an elbow issue.
However, with an 89-8 record at the year’s first Grand Slam, Djokovic, who has won all 10 finals he has reached, will still be the firm favourite to claim a fifth title in six years and go past Australian Margaret Court’s haul of 24 Slam singles trophies, if he can stay healthy.
“I think I’ll be okay,” he said of his wrist problem. “When I’m fit, when I’m at the peak of my performance, I can win any Slam or any tournament. I know that, I’m not afraid to say that.”
Djokovic, who will face qualifier Dino Prizmic in the first round, will be fired up to get a head start for the Golden Slam – winning all four Majors and the gold medal at the Olympic Games – to match Steffi Graf’s rare feat in 1988.
“I’ve have always the highest ambitions and goals. That’s not going to be different (in 2024), that’s for sure,” Djokovic said after outclassing Alcaraz and Sinner in back-to-back matches to secure the year-end top spot at the ATP Finals in November.
“The drive that I have is still there. The motivation, especially for the biggest tournaments in the sport, is still present.”
While the future of the game is in good hands, one of Djokovic’s fiercest rivals will not return to Major tennis with Nadal pulling out due to a small muscle tear during his defeat in Brisbane.
The Spaniard was on the comeback trail following hip surgery and now faces fresh doubts about his ability to compete at the elite level again, having already said he expects to finish his career in 2024.
Former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev was among the most consistent hard-court players in 2023 and he will eye another run to the final, hoping to banish memories of back-to-back defeats by Djokovic (2021) and Nadal (2022).
Other challengers include 2023 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas, the rejuvenated Alexander Zverev and a rising brigade of Americans led by Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe. REUTERS, AFP
