Novak Djokovic will enter the 2023 Australian Open as perhaps the most over-qualified No.4 seed in history.
Djokovic will be bidding to secure his fourth Australian Open in his last four attempts and his tenth overall, level Rafael Nadal on 22 grand slam singles titles and extend his winning streak Down Under to 41 matches.
Ironically, the sheer stubbornness and sheer will that helped drive the 35-year-old to this point is also what saw him tumble down the rankings in 2022 from what until then appeared to be an unassailable hold on the world No.1 ranking.
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While a mess of catastrophic proportions on several fronts, Djokovic’s refusal to get vaccinated against Covid-19 was ultimately the catalyst for his stunning deportation from Australia this time last year.
His stance saw him refused entry into several of tennis’ biggest events in 2022, with the US Open also shutting its doors to the Serbian.
While dangerous to deal in hypotheticals, it would take a bold pundit to assume Djokovic wouldn’t have won at least one and possibly both of the hardcourt majors had he been competing in them, such has been his dominance on the surface for the better part of a decade.
In reality, however, it was Nadal who capitalised on Djokovic’s absence at the Australian Open, then defeated his arch-rival en route to his 14th French Open title, opening up a two-slam gap between himself, Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Once seemingly destined to end up the victor of the three-horse race for glory, the fact Djokovic could well have given up that title speaks to the single-mindedness that has defined his career.
Still, the fact remains that when Djokovic is playing in a tournament, he’ll more-than-likely win it.
His win at Wimbledon (where he still lost 2000 ranking points) was followed up by wins in Tel Aviv and Astana, a finals loss to Holger Rune at the Paris Masters and then a stunning, undefeated run at the ATP Finals.
Djokovic defeated five of the world’s top 10 players, losing just one set along the way, cementing himself as the best player in the world despite his ranking at that point being world No.8.
While unflinching in his beliefs, Djokovic himself admitted he was uncertain how he would be received upon his return to Australia, which came late last month in Adelaide.
That Djokovic was met with such adulation will likely only further remove any uncertainty from the mind of the 21-time grand slam champion.
“I have enjoyed myself thoroughly really on and off the court,” Djokovic said after winning the Adelaide International.
“All the people that came to watch me play and gave me a lot of support and love, that made my stay in Australia and also experience even more positive, even better.”
That Djokovic was able to win the event despite not playing his best tennis consistently is a reminder of his capabilities on any court, much less a hardcourt.
His dismissal of Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals was notable, but his mental grit to stave off a championship point against Sebastian Korda before ultimately winning the event was another flex of the muscle ahead of the Australian Open, where he will enter a warm favourite.
Djokovic will still likely have to adjust to being back in Melbourne, where he arrived this week for the first time since 2022’s infamous saga.
Still, the fact his Friday exhibition match against Nick Kyrgios sold out in less than an hour suggests he will still draw a considerable crowd, much like he did for a week in Adelaide.
Djoker & the King to face off before AO | 01:18
While Djokovic admits he “can’t forget” what took place Down Under in 2022, he now has a chance to make the 2023 Australian Open just as unforgettable, but this time for all the right reasons.
And, realistically, it is tough to find a reason to pick against him – on talent, or on the emotion that will surely drive him.
“I think he will be overjoyed at first, but then there is going to sort of be a bit of bitterness, I believe, and he has got to get through that,” John McEnroe told Eurosport this week.
“I think he can get through that, he’s obviously proven that he has gone through some unbelievably difficult obstacles, none more so than the last 12 months of his career.
“The fact that he was still able to go out and win Wimbledon and go out and play these smaller events in the fall to get his ranking high enough so that he can go and win the event in Turin and the year-end event, and embrace playing and competing, was just incredible because it would have been very easy to be frustrated and angry.
“I can only imagine how he felt when he was deported out of Australia and subsequently dealing with that.
“I don’t think he was right until Wimbledon, but somehow he found it, and again, so few players will ever be able to do.”
