In just a mere few hours, the 112th playing of the Australian Open will commence at Melbourne Park for the first major of the 2024 season.
The “Happy Slam” as it has been known for many years has produced some incredible matches down the years due to its position in the tennis season so often players come to Melbourne in a lot more of a refreshed state than at the other three majors.
But what will be the biggest stories at Melbourne Park this year? Here are a few storylines to keep track of over the next 15 days.
Will Novak Djokovic make it 25 on his “home court.”
The Serb superstar has dominated the hard courts of the Australian Open for over a decade now like no way else in the world. Djokovic broke through for his first major success Down Under in 2008 but it was his second victory in 2011 that began his dynasty on the Rod Laver Arena.
Djokovic won 5 out of 6 titles between 2011-16 with only a defeat to eventual champion Stan Wawrinka in the 2014 Quarter-Finals, his only loss during that period. After 2 early exits in 2017 and ’18, he has won the last 4 times he has played at Melbourne Park with only his deportation in 2022 preventing him from 5 successive titles in the Australian Open. He returned last year to reclaim his title with a 6-3, 7-6, 7-6 victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.
He will be attempting to win his 25th Major title overall this fortnight which would break the tie with Margaret Court as well as his 11th title in Australia which would equal Court’s tally of wins in Australia. Only Rafael Nadal with 14 French Open successes has won more titles at one particular Grand Slam Event.
He remains the man to beat but at 36, this might be the last chance he has to complete the Grand Slam and this is where that quest begins.
Djokovic’s Road to the title (highest ranked player first/other notable players afterwards.)
R1:Dino Prižmić (Q)
R2: Alexei Popyrin
R3: Tomas Martin Etcheverry (30)/Andy Murray/Gael Monfils
R4: Ben Shelton (16)/Adrian Mannarino (20)/Stan Wawrinka
QF: Stefanos Tsitsipas (7)/ Taylor Fritz (12)/ Matto Berrettini/ Marin Cilic
SF: Jannik Sinner (4)/ Andrey Rublev (5)/ Alex De Minaur (10)/ Karen Khachanov (15)
F: Carlos Alcaraz (2)/ Danill Medvedev (3)/ Holger Rune (8)/Grigor Dimitrov (13)
Australian Open | A New Champion?
Whilst Djokovic goes in as the heavy favourite, there are a whole host of other stars who will be looking to take the title away from him. With the withdrawal of Rafael Nadal, Wawrinka is the only other former champion in the draw sheet and it has been 10 years since his unlikely success at Melbourne Park. If Djokovic is unsuccessful this year, who will be the man to add his name to the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup?
Carlos Alcaraz is the obvious shout. The brilliant young Spaniard already with 2 major titles under his belt, is making his first serious attempt to win the title at Melbourne Park after being forced to withdraw from the tournament last year through injury.
Daniil Medvedev will be looking to reclaim the men’s top ranking as well with victory at Melbourne Park. The World Number 3 had a resurgence in 2023 following his slump in form after his collapse in the 2022 final against Nadal that culminated in his R3 exit last year to Sebastian Korda saw him plummet from World Number 1 in September 2022 to Number 12 in January 2023.
Medvedev won the most matches in 2023 with 66 wins including victories in Miami and Rome as well as a third US Open Final appearance where he lost to Djokovic in straight sets.
The most in-form player coming into the Australian Open is that of Jannik Sinner. The Italian enjoyed a banner year in 2023, winning his first Masters Title in Canada as well as reaching his first major semi-final at Wimbledon. He went on to reach the final of the Season Ending Championships where he lost to Djokovic after beating him in the round-robin stage. He also claimed the Davis Cup, defeating Djokovic again saving 3 match points.
As he continues to improve and surely it is only a matter of time before he breaks through for his first major title why shouldn’t it be at Melbourne Park this month?
Alcaraz’s Road to the Title
R1: Richard Gasquet
R2: Dan Evans/Lorenzo Sonego
R3: Alexander Bublik (31)
R4: Tommy Paul (14)/Jan-Lennard Struff (24)/ Jack Draper
QF: Alexander Zverev (6)/Casper Ruud (11)/Cameron Norrie (19)/Jiri Lehecka (31)
SF: Daniil Medvedev (3)/Holger Rune (8)/Grigor Dimitrov (13)
F: Novak Djokovic (1)/Jannik Sinner (4)/Stefanos Tsitsipas (7)
Medvedev’s Road to the Title
R1: Térence Atmane
R2: Emil Ruusuvuori
R3: Félix Auger-Aliassime (27)?Dominic Thiem
R4: Grigor Dimitrov (13)/Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (23)
QF: Holger Rune (8)/Hubert Hurkacz (9)/Ugo Humbert (21)
SF: Carlos Alcaraz (2)/Alexander Zverev (6)/Casper Ruud (11)
Novak Djokovic (1)/Jannik Sinner (4)/Stefanos Tsitsipas (7)
Jannik Sinner’s Road to the Title
R1: Botic van de Zandschulp
R2: Pedro Cachin
R3: Sebastián Baez (26)
R4: Karen Khachanov (15)/Francis Tiafoe (17)
QF: Andrey Rublev (5)/Alex De Minaur (10)/Nicolás Jarry (18)/Sebastian Korda (29)
SF: Novak Djokovic (1)/Stefanos Tsitsipas (7)/ Ben Shelton (16)
F: Carlos Alcaraz (2)/ Danill Medvedev (3)/ Holger Rune (8)/Grigor Dimitrov (13)
Will Sabalenka retain her title or will Swiatek complete the third leg of the Career Slam?
12 months ago, Aryna Sabalenka broke through for her first major title at Melbourne Park over Elena Rybakina which was the springboard for a 2023 that saw her briefly capture the Number 1 Ranking.
Sabalenka’s powerful game makes her a force at Melbourne Park and with the monkey on her back with her first slam victory, she will be hoping to use the happy memories from last year to retain the Australian crown.
However, the World Number 1 Iga Swiatek will be looking for redemption after her fourth-round exit to Rybakina last year. The Pole captured her third French Title in June but went out early in the other three majors in 2023 whereas Sabalenka made the Semi-Finals of all 4.
Swiatek does have a difficult draw though opening up against 2020 Champion Sofia Kenin with a second-round match against either 2016 winner Angelique Kerber or 2022 Finalist Danielle Collins (who beat Swiatek in the semis that year).
The two have been the most dominant players over the last two years and will aim to do the same in 2024.
Swiatek’s Road to the Title
R1: Sofia Kenin
R2: Angelique Kerber/Danielle Collins
R3: Marie Bouzková (31)
R4: Veronika Kudermetova (15)/Elina Svitolina (19)
QF: Markéta Vondroušová (7)/Jelena Ostopenko (11)/ Victoria Azarenka (18)
SF: Elena Rybakina (3)/Jessica Pegula (5)
F: Aryna Sabalenka (2)/Coco Gauff (4)/Ons Jabeur (6)
Sabalenka’s Road to the Title
R1: Ella Seidel
R2: Ana Bogdan
R3: Lesia Tsurenko
R4: Liudmila Samsonova (13)/Donna Vekic (21)/ Paula Badosa
QF: Ons Jabeur (6)/Barbora Krejčíková (9)
SF: Coco Gauff (4)/ Maria Sakkari (8)/Caroline Garcia (16)
F: Iga Swiatek (1)/Elena Rybakina (3)/Jessica Pegula (5)/Markéta Vondroušová (7)/Jelena Ostopenko (11)
Can Coco back it up or will Rybakina get revenge?
In September, Coco Gauff fulfilled her potential by claiming the US Open title and with it her first Grand Slam. Gauff still only 19, first made a name for herself when she reached the last 16 at Wimbledon as a 15-year-old qualifier losing to eventual champion Simona Halep.
After a couple of years, rising the ranks as well as getting to the 2022 French Open Final, her first major success came at home under the guidance of Brad Gilbert whose influence particularly with her forehand was the cornerstone for her success.
Gauff will want to back it up at Melbourne Park where she also reached the fourth round at 15 in 2020. But she won’t be the only one-time major champion looking for success in Melbourne.
Elena Rybakina will seek redemption for her loss to Sabalenka last year. The Kazakhstani who won Wimbledon in 2022 struggled with illness in 2023 which blighted her attempts to capture the latter three majors last year. Rybakina’s big serve and powerful groundstrokes will be effective in Melbourne Park as she attempts to go one better than she did in 2023.
Rybakina’s Road to the Title
R1: Karolina Pliskova
R2: Anna Blinkova
R3: Jasmine Paolini (26)
R4: Daria Kasatkina (14)/Sloane Stephens
QF: Jessica Pegula (5)/Zheng Qinwen (12)
SF: Iga Swiatek (1)/Markéta Vondroušová (7)/Jelena Ostopenko (11)/Elina Svitolina (19)
F: Aryna Sabalenka (2)/Coco Gauff (4)/Ons Jabeur (6)
Gauff’s Road to the Title
R1: Anna Karolína Schmiedlová
R2: Caroline Dolehide
R3: Leylah Fernandez (32)
R4: Caroline Garcia (16)/Naomi Osaka
QF: Maria Sakkari (8)/Beatriz Haddad Maia (10)/Caroline Wozniacki
SF: Aryna Sabalenka (2)/Ons Jabeur (6)/Barbora Krejčíková (9)
F: Iga Swiatek (1)/Elena Rybakina (3)/Jessica Pegula (5)/Markéta Vondroušová (7)/Jelena Ostopenko (11)
5. Will any returning stars have a fortnight to remember?
Whilst injury forced Rafael Nadal to miss what could well have been his last Australian Open, other great champions on the comeback trail have made it and will be looking to remind the tennis world of past successes.
Firstly Naomi Osaka, a 4-time Grand Slam Champion including a two-time winner in Melbourne is back from the game after 16 months after having her daughter Shai in the summer. Osaka who won the tournament in 2019 and 2021 looked impressive in her comeback tournament in Brisbane losing a competitive match to Karolina Pliskova and will hope to get back to the top of the game as soon as possible.
The same challenge faces Angelique Kerber who is also coming back from maternity leave to compete for a 4th Major Title of her own. The German claimed her first major in Australia in 2016 defeating Serena Williams in the final and played a part in Team Germany’s United Cup Success.
Another former champion returning to Melbourne Park is 2018 Champion Caroline Wozniacki. The Dane retired at the Australian Open in 2020 but after 3 and a half years away, she returned in Montreal before reaching the Fourth Round at the US Open, losing to eventual winner Gauff. Wozniacki did not play any tournaments after the US Open in preparation for the Australian tournament.
On the Men’s Side, 2018 Runner-Up and 2014 US Open Champion Marin Cilic is also looking to make a comeback after a non-existent 2023 with a knee injury sustained in the first tournament of the year in Pune. The 35-year-old Croatian had enjoyed his best season since 2018 in 2022 with a run to the French Open Semi-Finals being the highlight.
With his record in Australia and at the Grand Slams, he will be one to watch this fortnight as he attempts to return to the game after a 12-month absence.
Will any of these great players roll back the years in Melbourne? We will have to wait and see.
What is guaranteed is a fantastic fortnight of top-level tennis.
Image Credit: Deposit Photos
Good article
Djokovic all the way