Djokovic in hot pursuit of Grand Slam record in Melbourne

THE first tennis Grand Slam of 2024 – the Australian Open – begins in Melbourne on Sunday (Jan 14), and it promises to be a fortnight of intense action, emotions and drama on and off the court.

Not only is it one of the grandest sporting events in the southern hemisphere, but the Australian Open is also fondly known as the “Happy Slam” because it’s a favourite among many players both past and present.

The retired Roger Federer, a six-time champion of this event, was the first to coin this term as he loved the tournament’s vibe, energy and atmosphere – a sentiment shared by many on the men’s and women’s tours today.

With the first match just hours away, BT Weekend assesses the chances of some of the top contenders Down Under.

Alcaraz, Sinner hungry for trophies

For the first time since 1999, neither Federer or Rafael Nadal will be playing at the Australian Open. 

In the build-up to this year’s event, all the talk has been on the defending champion Novak Djokovic and his relentless pursuit of more championships even as he is in the twilight of his glittering career. 

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Four months shy of his 37th birthday, the Serbian world No 1 has shown little sign of slowing down and that spells bad news for his main rivals. 

Djokovic is a record 10-time champion in Melbourne and he wants his name inscribed on the shiny trophy for an 11th time after the final on Jan 28.

He is also tied with the legendary Margaret Court on 24 Grand Slam crowns overall, and it seems like it’s only a matter of time before he gets the 25th.

There are two young challengers in his way, and one of them – the 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz – was responsible for stopping Djokovic’s quest for a Calendar Slam in 2023 when the Spaniard defeated him in a memorable five-set final at Wimbledon.

Alcaraz, the second seed, will overtake the Serb at the top of the rankings if he can triumph in Melbourne. Alcaraz, known as the “Spanish bull” for his competitiveness, wants another statement victory that would put him firmly in the lead for a changing of the guard in the men’s game.

Another red-hot contender is Jannik Sinner, the 22-year-old Italian who stunned the sport by beating Djokovic three times in the space of just 11 days – at the ATP Finals and Davis Cup late last year.

Sinner was almost unbeatable in the last few weeks of the 2023 season, winning 20 of his final 23 matches, a run that also included helping Italy to its first Davis Cup title in nearly 50 years. It will be interesting to see if he can maintain that red-hot momentum in the new campaign.

Bumpy path for Swiatek

The women’s side of the draw has produced some big games in the opening rounds. Iga Swiatek, the top seed from Poland, will have to overcome the 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin in the first round. This will be a rematch of the 2020 French Open final, which Swiatek won comfortably in straight sets.

The road to the latter stages doesn’t get any easier for whoever wins that match, as she will face either 2016 Australian Open winner Angelique Kerber or the 2022 finalist Danielle Collins.

The 22-year-old Swiatek is a four-time Major winner and she’s flying high. She’s proven she’s still the player to beat in the new year, having won all five of her singles matches at the United Cup mixed team event. She also hopes to win an Olympic gold medal in Paris in the summer.

The big obstacles in Swiatek’s path at Melbourne Park is the second seed and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, and third-seeded Elena Rybakina. The latter, who was runner-up last year, will battle former world No 1 Karolina Pliskova in the first round.

Kerber, meanwhile, is one of several new mums who have recently returned to action, the others being former No 1 Caroline Wozniacki, 33, and two-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, 26.

The 35-year-old Kerber from Germany gave birth to a daughter last February. Now ranked a lowly 657th, she’s eager to add to her tally of three Grand Slams but she isn’t in the best of form having won just one of her five United Cup matches.

Wozniacki, the 2018 Australian Open champion, is back in Melbourne together with her two children.

Osaka, playing in her first Grand Slam since giving birth, has a difficult assignment in the first round as she has been drawn to face 16th seed Caroline Garcia from France.