Novak Djokovic of Serbia hits a return during a training session ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 7, 2025 (Photo by William West/AFP)
Novak Djokovic returned to the stage where he won his biggest victory at the Australian Open this week, insisting he is ready to thwart Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s bid for a 25th Grand Slam title.
The 37-year-old former world No. 1 won Olympic gold last year, but failing to win a major title for the first time since 2017 exposed a flaw in his armor.
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The Serbian’s fallibility was once again exposed at last week’s Brisbane International when he lost to American Riley Opelka in the quarter-finals.
Read; Novak Djokovic: ‘I plan to play competitively next season’
But with fellow great Rafael Nadal also retiring to join Roger Federer, Djokovic is keen to prove to a younger team that he is still capable.
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Djokovic has brought in former rival Andy Murray as his coach, in an eye-catching move that he hopes will give him an edge to victory.
“The way I feel now, I still think I can be strong for many years to come,” said Djokovic, currently ranked seventh in the world.
“I still love the sport and I love competing.
“I’m ready to compete, no matter how much time it takes with the young guys.”
Read: Novak Djokovic admits ‘worst tennis ever’ after US Open loss
Few will bet against Djokovic on the blue hard courts of Melbourne Park. Djokovic has long been a dominant force there, winning a record 10 titles.
The other would give him 25 major crowns and separate him from Margaret Court as the outright leader.
Sinner under the doping cloud
Yannick Sinner of Italy throws a ball while waiting to play against Russia’s Roman Safiulin during the China Open tennis tournament at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, Saturday, September 28, 2024 (AP) Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Djokovic’s stamina and skill will be put to the ultimate test against 23-year-old Sinner, the world No. 1 and defending champion, and 21-year-old Alcaraz, who has already won four major tournaments.
While Djokovic warms up in Brisbane, Italian Sinner and Spaniard Alcaraz have opted not to engage in any competitive activity, with their main preparation being an exhibition match in Melbourne this week.
Read: Djokovic: Players ‘not informed’ about tennis doping violation
Sinner won his first tournament in Australia last year, fighting back from two sets down to defeat Russia’s Daniil Medvedev.
This ignited a sensational season in which he became the first player since Federer in 2005 to go a year without losing in straight sets.
He reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, won the US Open and the ATP Finals, and rose to the top of the rankings.
However, Sinner will begin his defense under a cloud of doping after twice testing positive for banned steroids in March.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted his claim that the substance entered his body through contamination and chose not to impose a suspension.
However, the World Anti-Doping Agency has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and a decision has not yet been issued.
“Of course it was in my head a little bit,” admitted Sinner, who led his country to the Davis Cup title in November.
additional weapons
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz reacts after his victory over Italy’s Yannick Ciner in the men’s singles final of the China Open Tennis Tournament at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, Wednesday, October 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashmad Ibrahim)
Alcaraz won Wimbledon and the French Open last season, cementing his future in the game alongside Sinner.
However, he has yet to perform to his full potential in Australia, reaching the quarter-finals in 2024 where he was surprised by Alexander Zverev, but that was his best effort.
Read: Carlos Alcaraz leads tennis into a new golden age
According to reports in Spain, Alcaraz switched to a heavier racquet in the off-season to gain more speed on his forehand on the Melbourne Park surface.
“Everything is an additional weapon to counter the games of rivals such as Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev,” said coach Samuel Lopez.
Germany’s Zverev is once again a threat after winning the Masters 1000 titles in Rome and Paris in recent months and climbing to No. 2 in the world rankings.
He withdrew from the mixed team United Cup preliminary round due to a bicep strain, but it was seen as a precautionary measure as he chased his first title in the competition.
The unpredictable Medvedev has reached three of the last four Australian Open finals and is not to be taken lightly.
Like Sinner and Alcaraz, the Russian has not taken part in any warm-up games and his form this early in the season is unknown.
Local fans will be strongly behind world number eight Alex de Minaur and showman Nick Kyrgios, who made his long-awaited return in Brisbane last week after a long injury break.
Kyrgios was eliminated in the first round, but admitted his wrist “almost required a miracle” to get him through five sets.
On Wednesday, he withdrew from an exhibition match against Djokovic with an abdominal strain, raising new questions about his fitness.
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The Australian Open begins on Sunday.
