Can anyone stop Novak Djokovic, the world media is asking before the start of the first Grand Slam tournament of the season, the Australian Open.
The tournament in Melbourne starts tomorrow, the title in the men's competition is defended by Djokovic, who won the cup in Australia 10 times. His streak, with the exception of 2022 when he was deported, has lasted since 2019.
Djokovic suffered his last defeat at his first Grand Slam in 2018, when he lost to Hyeon Chung in the round of 2005. Melbourne is Djokovic's favorite tournament, and the loss to Cung is one of the eight matches that Djokovic lost in Melbourne during his career. Safin (2006), Goldstein (2007), Federer (2009), Rodik (2014), Tsonga, Vavrinka (2017) and Istomin (10) were better than the Serbian tennis player. Therefore, Djokovic has more titles (8) than defeats (XNUMX) at the Australian Open.
"I'm the biggest threat to myself, that's always the case, and then so are all the other best tennis players in the world." Some are expected more than others, but this is a slam, 128 players," Djokovic said at a press conference ahead of the start of the season's first Grand Slam.
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And Djokovic's main competitor for the title will be the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz. However, the Spaniard did not play in the new season, so the question is in what condition he will be in Melbourne.
"Carlitos is a bit of an enigma for me, because he hasn't played a single tournament in the new season. It's very important to get a feel for the game before the first matches start. It's not the same as playing against Bublik or Karbaljes in the first match after the break. If Alcaraz is healthy, the Australian Open is a tournament that should suit him. The environment is good, the playing conditions are favorable, the courts are fast but he can play on them, the night program is attractive, as he likes it. That's why I'm an optimist," says the former tennis player, now a commentator on Eurosport Aleks Koreča.
In addition to the title, Djokovic and Alkaras will fight for the first place on the ATP list. The Serbian tennis player has 11.055 points and the Spanish player has 8.855 points, and there are many options when it comes to the fight for first place. And, apart from them, Danil Medvedev (7.555) can also take first place after the Australian Open. And that's only if he wins the title, and Djokovic and Alkaras finish their participation before the semi-finals.
In the first round, Djokovic will play against Dino Prižmić, Alkaras will compete with Richard Gasquet, while Medvedev will meet with Terence Atman.
Attention should also be paid to the Italian tennis player Janiko Siner, who finished the previous season well and won the Davis Cup with Italy. The Italian has the power to threaten the favorites, and in the first round, tomorrow, he will play against Botik Van de Zandschloop.
In the article about the Australian Open, the British "Guardian" pays attention to Alex de Minor, who recently defeated Djokovic at the United Cup. They point out that De Minor has recently matured, that he is patient and aggressive, and that his game is characterized by variety. "Guardian" points out the forehand as De Minor's biggest flaw.
Rafael Nadal will not be at the Australian Open this season either, as he canceled his participation last week due to an injury.
In the women's competition, the title is defended by Arina Sabalenka. The tennis player from Belarus has reached at least the semi-finals in the last five Grand Slam tournaments, and she has a great chance to reach the final in Melbourne.
Her biggest competitor will be the best tennis player on the planet, Iga Sfjontek. The Polish tennis player has not lost a singles match since September, she has won 16 matches, and lost only two sets in that streak. And she even won 13 sets in her favor with a score of 6:1 or 6:0.
You should also count on Elena Ribakina, who played in the finals last year in Australia. The 2022 Wimbledon champion comes to Melbourne after winning the title in Brisbane, defeating Sabalenka in the final - 6:0, 6:3.
Koko Goff, who won the tournament in Auckland last Sunday, is also in good form. Last year, she won trophies in Washington, Cincinnati and at the US Open, and she does not hide that she has high ambitions in Melbourne.
"I feel that I can win double-digit Grand Slam titles. I can't say how many, that number will change depending on how my career goes. But at the moment, I would say that double-digit number looks very impressive. I don't know that I will succeed, but I believe that it is a very high goal. I believe that when I set high goals for myself, it helps me to believe that I can achieve them," said 19-year-old Goff.
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