The Australian Open this year looms as the best on the men’s side for many years, especially with Nick Kyrgios believing he is a legitimate chance to end the host nation’s 47-year men’s title wait.
Nine-time winner Novak Djokovic is back after controversially being kicked out of the country a year ago as one of the world’s highest-profile unvaccinated people.
But so, too, is defending champion Rafael Nadal, dual-finalist Daniil Medvedev, and a cast of other contenders, from Stefanos Tsitsipas to Casper Ruud, and rising stars, including Felix Auger-Aliassime, Holger Rune and Jannik Sinner.
Novak Djokovic.Credit:AP
Novak Djokovic
Best AO result: Champion (2008, 2011-13, 2015-16, 2019-21)
Djokovic is the hottest of favourites to extend his record haul of Melbourne Park titles to 10. He never lacks motivation to make the world’s other top players look second-rate, but last year’s deportation drama should only make him harder to defeat. The 35-year-old marvel already has a strong case to be considered the greatest men’s player of all-time, but another Australian Open triumph would be his 22nd grand slam championship overall, locking him in first place with rival Rafael Nadal. Nadal is on the opposite side of the draw, but Djokovic may need to negotiate Grigor Dimitrov, Australia’s Alex de Minaur and Nick Kyrgios, plus one of Casper Ruud, Taylor Fritz and Matteo Berrettini to reach another final.
Rafael Nadal
Best AO result: Champion (2009, 2022)
The sensational Spaniard benefited from Djokovic’s absence last year to win a second Australian Open title after recovering from a two-set hole in an epic final against Russia’s Daniil Medvedev.
Rafael Nadal.Credit:Getty Images
The doubters are back again after Nadal lost to Cameron Norrie and Alex de Minaur at the United Cup – and he even had to fend off retirement questions. Nadal has the toughest opener of the legitimate contenders against British rising star Jack Draper, who made the Adelaide semi-finals, but it might prove the perfect scenario to kick-start his year and championship defence. Among his potential opponents on the road to another final are Yoshihito Nishioka, Frances Tiafoe, Medvedev and one of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Nick Kyrgios
Best AO result: Quarter-finals (2015)
It seems a lifetime ago that Kyrgios slashed his way through his home grand slam draw to make the quarter-finals eight years ago. He is equally entertaining and brash these days but, more importantly, he has rounded into a genuine contender and has last year’s Wimbledon final experience to draw upon. Kyrgios also declared on tournament eve he has the belief for the first time he can go all the way at a grand slam. The complication is his ankle and knee issues that meant his biggest public on-court contribution this summer so far was a Friday night Fast4 hit-and-giggle, with some serious tennis mixed in, against Djokovic. Kyrgios could meet the brilliant Serb in the quarter-finals, but will likely have to account for Ugo Humbert, Holger Rune and Andrey Rublev first.
Nick Kyrgios.Credit:Getty Images
Daniil Medvedev
Best AO result: Runner-up (2021-22)
Medvedev came agonisingly close to a second grand slam title and first at Melbourne Park after leading Nadal by two sets in last year’s final. He twice ascended to the world No.1 ranking in 2022 but his fourth-round US Open defeat to Kyrgios kicked off a slump-of-sorts – by his lofty standards, and still including winning the Vienna title – that now sees him at No.8. Medvedev reached the Adelaide semi-finals before losing to Djokovic, declaring afterwards he was playing well enough to beat most of his top-10 rivals. His foes on the way to what would be a third-straight decider include Seb Korda, Hubert Hurkacz and possible quarter-final opponent Nadal.
Daniil Medvedev.Credit:Getty Images
Stefanos Tsitsipas
Best AO result: Semi-finals (2019, 2021-22)
Teenage world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz won a grand slam title before Tsitsipas, but the 24-year-old remains a perennial contender. He thrives at Melbourne Park, in no small part due to the city’s large Greek community, who shower him with love at this time of year. Tsitsipas reached the 2021 Roland Garros final, but his consistently deep Australian Open runs make this his most successful slam. The third seed would love nothing more than to achieve his breakthrough here. Tsitsipas has a fairly friendly start to the event before his first major test, likely against Jannik Sinner or fellow young gun Lorenzo Musetti in the round of 16. After that, Auger-Aliassime, then one of Nadal or Medvedev could lie in wait.
Contenders for the women’s crown
Who will succeed Australia’s own Ash Barty in accepting the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup?
The obvious choice is world No.1 Iga Swiatek, who produced one of the most dominant seasons on record after Barty’s shock second retirement in March.
There is no shortage of rivals lining up to beat Swiatek to it, including Ons Jabeur, Jessica Pegula, Caroline Garcia and Aryna Sabalenka, as well as teenage star Coco Gauff, Maria Sakkari and Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
Iga Swiatek.Credit:AP
Iga Swiatek
Best AO result: Semi-finals (2022)
No one benefited more from Ash Barty’s retirement than the Pole, who ripped off an extraordinary 37-match winning streak afterwards that ended, surprisingly, in a third-round Wimbledon loss to Alize Cornet. Swiatek never took a set off Barty in two meetings, but she almost certainly would have changed that if the Australian had not called it quits. She plays a more aggressive style than Barty and boasts almost a 6000-point gap at the top of the rankings, such is her dominance. Swiatek already has three grand slam single titles on her resume but would dearly love to succeed Barty at Melbourne Park. To even make her first final here, the 21-year-old might have to eliminate Marie Bouzkova, Danielle Collins, Gauff and Pegula.
Ons Jabeur.Credit:AP
Ons Jabeur
Best AO result: Quarter-finals (2020)
The world’s No.2 player looked a bit sluggish in Adelaide, but she and her quirky game should never be overlooked – shown by her final appearances at Wimbledon and the US Open last year. Jabeur wants to become the first Arab to ascend to the top ranking, and she has some serious catching up to do to overtake Swiatek, so a maiden grand slam title at Melbourne Park would certainly help that cause. Doing so would require her to significantly improve on her 6-5 Australian Open record, but Jabeur is a different player now. Standing in her way before the final could be Kaia Kanepi, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Aryna Sabalenka and WTA Finals champion Caroline Garcia.
Jessica Pegula
Best AO result: Quarter-finals (2021-22)
Pegula, like Swiatek, struggled against Barty, but she has steadily improved to the point she is the third-ranked women’s player and has reached the last eight at three of the four grand slams. The daughter of Buffalo Bills and Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula – you have read that fact plenty of times – seems ready to take the next step and prove she truly belongs in the upper echelon on the WTA Tour. Pegula played a key role in the United States’ United Cup victory, including reducing Swiatek to tears in a stunning semi-final upset. Marta Kostyuk or Amanda Anisimova may be on the opposite side in the third round, before potential match-ups with Petra Kvitova, Maria Sakkari then Swiatek.
Caroline Garcia
Best AO result: Fourth round (2018)
The ultra-talented Frenchwoman finally, at age 29, looks to have figured it all out, winning last year’s WTA Finals to cap a four-title season in which she made the US Open semi-finals and surged to a career-best No.4 ranking. That New York result was the furthest she has been at grand slam level, topping her 2017 Roland Garros quarter-final. Perhaps, Garcia’s breakthrough owes to her learning to better handle an eating disorder she went public with after her WTA Finals triumph, or maybe a combination of experiences has got her here. Garcia’s first serious danger in Melbourne could come as early as the second round, with Irina-Camelia Begu, Anett Kontaveit, Daria Kasatkina and Jabeur or Sabalenka possibly waiting beyond that.
Caroline Garcia.Credit:Getty Images
Aryna Sabalenka
Best AO result: Fourth round (2021-22)
The Belarusian master blaster is a force to be reckoned with and arrives in Melbourne after winning the Adelaide International One title in impressive fashion. She belies her fearsome on-court presence as one of the most laid-back, quotable stars on the tour. Sabalenka seems destined to win a grand slam title at some stage, but has repeatedly fallen short despite being one of the world’s best since breaking into the top 20 in late 2018. The 24-year-old is starting to make inroads, including three slam semi-finals since 2021 Wimbledon, and is no longer dealing with serving yips. Sabalenka’s road to a first Australian Open final could include clashes with Elise Mertens, Belinda Bencic, Jabeur then Garcia.
Watch the Australian Open live and free on the Nine Network – Channel 9, 9Gem, and 9NOW.
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