Novak Djokovic resumes his Grand Slam title race with Rafa Nadal next week at the Australian Open, returning to what was his happiest hunting ground before the ugly controversy which led to his absence last year.
Having arrived in Australia unvaccinated 12 months ago, the nine-times Melbourne champion was deported amid a backlash from angry Australians who had endured some of the world’s toughest lockdowns as Covid-19 infections surged.
Nadal pounced on the opportunity, vanquishing Daniil Medvedev in an epic final to capture his second title at Melbourne Park, and more importantly his 21st at Grand Slams, before adding one more major trophy to his tally at the French Open.
While Roland Garros has been Nadal’s domain for nearly two decades, Melbourne Park is almost as much for Djokovic, with the world number five capturing nine titles and holding an 82-6 record since 2007.
Djokovic has also proven to be unbeatable in Australian Open semi-finals and finals with 9-0 records in both, making him the automatic favourite anytime he enjoys a deep run.
Back in Australia after his three-year visa ban was waived, Djokovic has slowly won over fans and he soaked up the adulation en route to the Adelaide title - his 11th trophy in the country - but a more hostile reception could await in Melbourne.
If the seedings hold, Djokovic would not lock horns with Nadal until the final but he could take on Nick Kyrgios in a blockbuster rematch of last year’s Wimbledon final, when the Serb won his 21st major.

EARLY TEST OF FITNESS FOR GRAND SLAM STAR NADAL

Nadal’s hopes of staying ahead of Djokovic will hinge on his recovery from an injury-plagued end to last year and a slow start to this season.
The top seed faces an early test of his fitness against British young gun Jack Draper with likely clashes against Frances Tiafoe and Medvedev lying ahead.
Second seed Casper Ruud made the most of Djokovic’s enforced absence at the US Open by reaching his second Grand Slam final of 2022 and the Norwegian will continue to knock on the door in search of his maiden major.
But the 24-year-old could run into fellow contenders Matteo Berrettini, Taylor Fritz, Alexander Zverev as well as Britain’s former world number one Andy Murray who returns to the scene of his five Grand Slam runner-up finishes. The injury withdrawal of world number one and US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz robbed the year’s first Grand Slam of a genuine title contender.
There is depth at the top of men’s tennis and the likes of Medvedev, third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime could all step up to loosen the old guard’s Grand Slam grip.

MELBOURNE PARK SET FOR NEW CHAMPION

Iga Swiatek is the strong favourite to land her fourth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, but the picture is considerably less clear if the world number one fails to live up to her top seeding.
With Ash Barty and Serena Williams having hung up their rackets and Naomi Osaka pregnant with her first child, Melbourne Park will almost certainly usher in a new era by crowning a first-time champion on Jan. 29. The only two former winners in the 128-strong field face each other in the opening round and it is highly unlikely either will still be around when the Daphne Akhurst Trophy is presented.
Victoria Azarenka won her two titles a decade ago, and little has gone right for Sofia Kenin since she triumphed in 2020, although she did reach the semi-finals in Hobart this week.
The race to fill the void left by the absence of the likes of last year’s home-grown champion Barty and seven-times winner Williams should be spearheaded by Swiatek, who looked unbeatable at times last season. The 21-year-old Pole won her second French Open, proved she could also win on hard courts with a first US Open triumph, and racked up a 21st century record 37-match winning streak.
She was reduced to tears after being beaten by American Jessica Pegula on fast Sydney courts at the United Cup only last week but quickly moved to quash the idea that the emotional outburst was a sign of something deeper.
“It’s not the first time I cried after a lost match. Nothing special,” said the self-confessed perfectionist.
“I just knew that I felt kind of helpless today, because physically and mentally I wasn’t able to kind of show up even, and problem-solve.”
Swiatek was thrashed 6-4 6-1 by Danielle Collins at Melbourne Park last year in her first hardcourt Grand Slam semi-final, and the American looms this year in the last 16 if the seedings hold.
Problem-solving is something Swiatek prides herself on, however, and Collins, the 13th seed, might find the Pole a different proposition if they meet this year.
Unsurprisingly, the bookmakers rate powerful baseliners Aryna Sabalenka, champion in Adelaide last week, and Pegula, who helped the US win the United Cup, as the best chances of taking the title after Swiatek.
Charismatic American teenager Coco Gauff would be a popular champion, not least in the Australian Open marketing department. Last year’s French Open finalist is in form, having opened the season with the title at the Auckland Open.
Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina’s big serve gives her a chance of a second Grand Slam title, while world number four Caroline Garcia is enjoying a late-career renaissance and won the WTA Finals on hardcourt last year.
Collins, Barbora Krejcikova, Belinda Bencic, Daria Kasatkina and Veronika Kudermetov have all shown the sort of early season form that could augur a run deep into the tournament, which starts on Monday.
Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur is seeded second after reaching the finals at the last two Grand Slams, losing to Rybakina at Wimbledon and Swiatek at Flushing Meadows.
Her reliance on dazzling racket skills rather than power might work against her on the famous blue courts but there would surely be few more popular winners than the bubbly 28-year-old.