Australian Open preview: Novak Djokovic seeks record 11th crown

Grand Slam tennis is back.

The Australian Open is upon us in Melbourne as the world’s best set their sights on the first of four prestigious majors on the tennis calendar.

While we Canadians will suffer through damp, dreary weather, and frigid temperatures, 256 singles players will contend with the sweltering heat of the Aussie summer.

Novak Djokovic has his eyes locked in on more history, Naomi Osaka makes her much-anticipated return, while Canadian Leylah Fernandez looks to build upon a great fall season.

Here are six storylines to follow as the 2024 Australian Open gets underway:

Daring to bet against Novak Djokovic in Melbourne seems akin to wagering against American Michael Phelps in a swimming pool.

Yes, it’s conceivable he will not be the winner, but his sustained dominance at the event gives him a monumental edge mentally over the rest of the field.

Factor in his peak physical fitness at the spry age of 36, his sheer brilliance at striking a tennis ball, and the complete absence of any discernible weakness in his game, and you have the most prolific champion in men’s tennis.

Djokovic lives and breathes winning.

He was 27-1 at Grand Slam events last season, only coming up shy in the Wimbledon final in a five-set, 4-hour, 42-minute duel with Spanish hotshot Carlos Alcaraz.

Djokovic is a 10-time champion here in Australia, and his record at Rod Laver Arena is 75-7.

“My favourite place, no doubt,” said Djokovic in his pre-tournament press conference.

“The court where I’ve done great things and achieved my greatest Grand Slam results.”

The world No. 1 did experience a minor wrist injury at the United Cup to open the season and suffered a straight-sets loss to Alex de Minaur.

The minor hiccup should do little to detract from his chances, as he’s looked plenty explosive and free in practice all week.

With a favourable draw in front of him, avoiding dangerous opponents like Holger Rune or Alexander Zverev in his quarter, Djokovic has his eyes set on a record 25th career major.

A title here and he would surpass Australian Margaret Court for most singles majors in tennis history.

He’ll open in the first round against 18-year-old Dino Prizmic of Croatia.

Jannik Sinner made significant strides last season as a marquee player on the men’s circuit, breaking inside the top five of the rankings, winning his first Masters 1000 event in Toronto at the National Bank Open, placing runner-up at the ATP Finals and leading his country to a historic Davis Cup title.

The svelte and quiet Italian possesses ruthless and easy baseline power off both wings, has elite sliding capabilities and defends the court about as well as anybody.

The next task and goal ahead is to win a Grand Slam.

Sinner has yet to have his breakthrough, with his deepest run coming at Wimbledon last season when he reached the semifinals.

In Melbourne last year, he fell just short in a five-set showdown to eventual finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas in the round of 16.

There’s little to doubt in the 22-year-old’s elite skill set, which is further buoyed by a powerful serve and improved net game.

The next question Sinner must answer is the ability to withstand the mental and physical challenge of best-of-five over a full two weeks.

It’s a characteristic of Daniil Medvedev’s game, which makes him a confirmed contender to win in Melbourne this year.

One of the world’s most elite hard-court players, The Octopus returns Down Under with his sights set on another Grand Slam trophy.

It’s been over two years since he won his first and only major, a title at the U.S. Open.

He’s hoisted the runner-up trophy many times since — in Flushing Meadows last summer, he was denied in the finals by Novak Djokovic.

Twice in Melbourne, he’s lost in the final: once to Rafael Nadal in 2022 and another time to Djokovic in 2021.

The Russian went 47-12 on hard-court last season with four titles and four runner-up finishes. Could another run be in store?

Early last season, an untimely injury thwarted Carlos Alcaraz’s plans to play in Melbourne.

He injured his hamstring in training just in advance of the Australian Open, forcing his withdrawal, and ultimately leading to the conceding of his world No. 1 ranking to Novak Djokovic.

The pair would change hands of the top ranking spot throughout the season — Alcaraz reclaimed the mantle in March after his title in Indian Wells, let it slip only two weeks later when he lost in Miami, got back on top of the tennis world by winning Wimbledon, but ultimately succumbed to the No. 2 spot as Djokovic was victorious at Flushing Meadows, and furthermore defended his crown at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Carlitos was crystal clear about his goals heading into Australia this season.

“Reach the final and play Novak Djokovic,” said the charismatic 20-year-old Spaniard.

“I want that.”

Alcaraz has already set Open Era records, and his greatness at such an early age is eerily reminiscent of a young Rafael Nadal when he burst onto the tennis scene by winning the French Open back in 2005.

The Spaniard already has two slams but lacks a bit of experience in Melbourne.

He’s only played the event twice and has never advanced past the third round.

He’ll play his opening round match Monday night against veteran Frenchman Richard Gasquet.

As American soccer great Mia Hamm once said: “It is more difficult to stay on top than to get there.”

Such is the challenge ahead for 25-year-old Aryna Sabalenka, who got to the very top of the women’s game last season, initially winning her maiden slam in Australia at the front end of the year, and then reaching the world No. 1 ranking later in the summer, finishing runner-up at the U.S. Open.

While Iga Swiatek did reclaim the top spot in the rankings later in the fall, Sabalenka has proven herself to be one of the elite stars of the sport.

Her brand of insatiable power baseline tennis, backed by a fiery and vocal intensity, makes her perhaps the most intimidating opponent on the circuit.

Now returning to Melbourne, she’s presented with the challenge of defending last year’s breakthrough win.

It’s obvious Sabalenka and her team are keeping it light and loose ahead of the Open.

If she handles her emotions in the right way, she’ll have a strong opportunity to become the first women’s player to defend her title in Melbourne since fellow Belarusian Victoria Azarenka 11 years ago.

Meanwhile, one of her main rivals arrives Down Under in fine form.

Elena Rybakina, last year’s runner-up, got the better of Sabalenka in the opening tournament of the year. Rybakina stunned Sabalenka with a 6-0, 6-3 thrashing in the finals to win the Brisbane International event.

It was the sixth WTA title of Rybakina’s career, and the tall Kazakhstani took a massive step forward last season in terms of ranking and quality of play.

The 2022 Wimbledon champion won the first of two career WTA1000s, first emerging victorious in Miami and then hoisting the trophy on the clay in Rome.

Rybakina has a similar power-baseline style to Sabalenka, though she hits flatter, serves even better (she hit 455 aces last season) and has made noticeable improvements in her return game.

She’s also proven herself as a big-match performer — she’s won eight of her last nine matches against top three opponents.

Inside the top three of the rankings herself, Rybakina is a strong contender for a second career major in Melbourne.

Is there anyone cooler than Coco Gauff?

The teenage sensation caught the tennis world by storm last summer, winning her maiden slam on home soil at the U.S. Open, and becoming the first American teenager to win at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams back in 1999.

Gauff’s magnetic energy, elite athleticism and fearless determination on court have all the elements of a future generational champion.

The game style is also world-class tennis, with Gauff’s exceptional movement that stands alone at the top of the women’s game, while her blistering two-handed backhand wing that she’s comfortable unloading at any time can catch any opponent off guard.

Gauff is already fast out of the gates in 2024 — she defended her title in at the ASB Classic by winning her seventh career singles title.

Now a second career major is within her grasp.

While Gauff eyes a second slam, it’s world No. 1 Iga Swiatek who is on the hunt for a fourth.

The 22-year-old has won a major in three of the last four seasons on tour and was WTA Player of the Year for a second consecutive time in 2023.

Swiatek is simply a title-winning machine.

She’s racked up 17 singles trophies since October 2020 and finished last season by winning the China Open, the end-of-year WTA Finals in Guadalajara and reclaiming her top spot in the rankings.

She also opened this year with five singles victories at the United Cup team competition, as her country of Poland finished runner-up to Germany, and has a match-winning streak of 16.

It’s evident she feels loose and relaxed in Melbourne, visiting coffee shops around the city.

Swiatek's best finish in Australia was a semifinal appearance in 2022 — she’ll meet 2020 champion Sofia Kenin in a high-octane, first-round match.

Two-time Aussie Open winner Naomi Osaka has also made her return to the tour after taking 2023 off to have her first child.

The 26-year-old mother is a four-time grand slam champion and entering the field unseeded, she’s as dangerous as anybody to make a potential run in Melbourne.

She’ll play her first-round match Monday against the 16th seed, Caroline Garcia.

Emma Raducanu, the 2021 U.S. Open winner, is also back after a long injury layoff while three-time major winner Angelique Kerber returns after a year-and-a-half-long hiatus from the tour.

Caroline Wozniacki, the 2018 Australian Open champ, will also be competing in Melbourne for the first time in four years.

Six Canadians are set to compete Down Under this year with five in singles and one in doubles.

Leylah Fernandez will lead the charge on the women’s side and arrives in Melbourne on the heels of a strong fall season.

She won her third career WTA title in October at the Hong Kong Open while in team competition, she helped carry Canada to a first-ever Billie Jean King Cup title in November.

Fernandez has won 13 of her last 15 matches, and the left-hander’s early-strike ground strokes, savvy net play, and mental resolve will be her relied-upon strengths as she heads into the first major of the season.

The 21-year-old is the 32nd seed this year squared up against qualifier Sara Bejlek of Czechia in the opening round, winning 7-6 (5), 6-2.

Elsewhere, Toronto’s Rebecca Marino qualified for Melbourne with three match wins for a second consecutive year.

She has a tough first-round draw against world No. 6 Jessica Pegula.

The world No. 7 in doubles Gaby Dabrowski will back the Canadian women in doubles alongside partner Erin Routliffe, who was born in Caledon, Ont.

The duo won last year’s U.S. Open doubles crown and a second title at the Zhengzhou Open.

On the men’s side, Felix Auger-Aliassime is the top-ranked Canadian and while 2023 was a forgettable one for the former world No. 6, he’ll look to rebuild his form and ranking this year.

Auger-Aliassime did seize one title at the tail-end of last season, defending his crown at the Swiss Indoors tournament in Basel.

He meets former grand slam winner Dominic Thiem in a tantalizing first-round affair.

Denis Shapovalov will compete in his first major since suffering a knee injury at last year’s Wimbledon.

The time off tour has seen the Canadian slip outside the top 100 of the rankings — he meets qualifier Jakub Mensik in his opening-round match.

Big-serving Milos Raonic is set to make his 12th career appearance at the Australian Open and first since 2021.

Raonic spent two years off the circuit rehabbing from injury before returning last June on grass and notably reached the fourth round at the National Bank Open in Toronto.

He’ll face off against the home-favourite Alex de Minaur in the opening round.