They sent him home
It has been a long time since the 37-year-old Serbian veteran entered this event as a hot favorite. After all, he won the Australian trophy ten times. However, he is not the biggest candidate for victory this season.
Bookmakers advise him to third place – behind defender and world number one Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, a youngster who already has four Grand Slam titles.
Last year, Djokovic did not succeed at the level of the big four even once, as if he subordinated everything to winning the Olympic title, which he succeeded in a spectacular way. In the meantime, however, he fell to seventh place in the ATP rankings, and last season he did not even make it to the final Tournament of Champions.
Although it may seem that the native of Belgrade is already past his zenith, he is definitely not laying down his arms. He called his former great rival Andy Murray to the service, who ended his career in the fall and will now advise him directly in Melbourne.
Djokovic’s big goal is to win the 25th Grand Slam. She currently shares the record with Australian Margaret Court.
For the most successful tennis player in history, the Australian Open is an extremely sensitive place. Not only because of the great achievements he achieved here. Three years ago, he was sent away from the city in a literally scandalous way.
During the pandemic year, they granted him an exception, gave him a visa, but when he arrived at the local airport, he did not go to the hotel as usual, but to the detention center.
Strict rules applied in the country, the Serbian champion was not vaccinated and the local state authorities did not want him there. Djokovic even succeeded in court, but the then immigration minister Alex Hawke sent him away as an undesirable person on the grounds that it was in the interest of society. Allegedly, it could trigger anti-vaxxer sentiments.
Current Australian political elites have described their predecessors’ behavior towards the tennis legend as “astounding”.
“I commented on it then as well. I found it astonishing that before Christmas our then federal government denied Novak Djokovic the opportunity to meet with an Orthodox priest. I think it was something that is hard to justify,” Anthony Albanese, Australia’s current prime minister, admitted this week.
We just remind you that Djokovic was healthy at the time, while there were also infected players on the courts in Melbourne Park. Perhaps Bernard Tomic had symptoms during training. He was sick. He complained. With the caveat that they don’t test the players at all. He was positive the next day.
Djokovic, although he admits that he is still confused by the memories of the 2022 edition, quickly shook himself from it all. Twelve months later, he made a triumphant return at the Australian Open and was applauded by a sold-out arena after the final.
Favored sinners
The biggest favorite for the next two weeks will be Sinner. Last year, he won his first Grand Slam title on hot courts, when in the final against Daniil Medvedev, he masterfully turned the situation from 0:2 to sets. Since then, the 23-year-old tennis player from the Italian Dolomites has been in amazing form. He confirmed it by winning the US Open in Flushing Meadows.
A stain on his great achievements is a positive doping test from last spring. The prohibited substance entered his body through the ointment his physiotherapist used to treat his injured finger. The competent authorities accepted this explanation and the young player remained unpunished.
However, the case was accompanied by decisions that were not to everyone’s liking, and it is not just a non-standard pardon. The public learned about the case only at the end of the summer, and in the meantime Sinner “put on the alert” a large team that “cut” him out of the problem.
Alcaraz will once again attract a lot of attention. His more famous compatriot Rafael Nadal recently ended his rich tennis career, and the Spaniards will now place all their hopes in the hands of this youngster. However, the truth is that he often performs unevenly. In addition, he has never won in Australia.
If he succeeds on Sunday, January 26, he will become the youngest player in history to have trophies from all four Grand Slams in his display case.
847751552 Carlos Alcaraz.
Aryna Sobolenková, the current world number one, is the big favorite in the women’s singles. The Belarusian wants to complete a hat-trick of victories at the Australian Open and imitate the Swiss Martina Hingisová, who succeeded in Melbourne in 1997-1999.
“I feel refreshed and hungry for more success,” she reported as she stepped off the plane in Australia. Subsequently, she confirmed her form with a triumph at the tournament in Brisbane, a kind of general for the first peak of the season.
Iga Swiateková will try to thwart her hat-trick plan. The Polish woman has gone through what Sinner has been through in recent months. She too was tested positive, she too faces unpleasant questions from the tennis public, but she can continue her career.
The trio of top favorites is rounded off by the American Coco Gauffová.
Australian paradox
Traditionally, Slovak tennis players will also perform at the Australian Open. But traditionally in a heated lineup, only two of them made it to the main stage. The ranking position entitles Rebecca Šramková to start, while Lukáš Klein’s successful three-round qualification entitles her to start.
Both learned the names of their opponents in the opening round on Thursday. The American Katie Volynetsová is waiting for Šramková, who has had the best part of her career so far, when she fought her way to three finals of WTA events in the fall. If the 28-year-old from Bratislava advances, her opponent will probably be world number two Swiateková.
Photo: Magara Press SL / Alamy / Alamy / Profimedia
Rebecca Šramková Rebecca Šramková.
Klein also challenges the American. He will be Sebastian Korda, world number 22, who has Czechoslovak roots. Her father Petr won the Australian Open in the 1998 season, defeating Karol Kučera 3:1 in sets in the semi-finals. Paradoxically, he is Klein’s coach today.
“I have to admit that the match didn’t work out for me, I made it easier for Korda to reach the final, where he beat Marcelo Rios. I regret that I have not had the experience of a similar big match before. Then the fight with Kord might have turned out differently. Anyway, other things were interesting,” Kučera recalled for Športweb about the 1998 semifinal.
When asked what other matters were interesting, he answered as follows…
“After the Australian Open, Korda came in second place in the ranking and was extremely eager to become world number one. However, he was accused of doping and the verdict was awaited. Korda could play until he was sentenced.
We ran into each other at a tournament in Antwerp. If he beat me, he would jump to the leader position in the ranking. Back then, everyone already knew that Korda had problems with doping – even Czech players like Vacek, Damm, Suk. They were not missing in Antwerp and they all came to our match.
Not to keep their fingers crossed for a compatriot at an important moment, but to cheer for me. They wanted to make it clear what they thought about Kordo’s doping. They created an atmosphere for me like at the Davis Cup, and I beat Korda. It was a slight satisfaction for me for Australia,” he added.
But back to this year.
Several Slovaks have already finished in front of the gates of Melbourne. Jozef Kovalík failed in the final of the qualification, from the women’s side Viktória Hrunčáková was eliminated in the first round, in the second Olympic semifinalist Anna Karolína Schmiedlová and Renáta Jamrichová, who started in the qualification thanks to last year’s triumph in the junior women’s singles.
Source: sportweb.pravda.sk
