Novak Djokovic is confident he can still win Grand Slams, starting at the Australian Open, with the Serbian launching his bid for an unprecedented 11th title and record 25th major crown in Brisbane, Australia.
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, who is gunning for a third Melbourne Park trophy, joins him at the Queensland Tennis Centre from Sunday to Jan. 5 in a stellar women’s field. The next season gets under way tomorrow with the mixed-teams United Cup in Perth and Sydney, headlined by world No. 2 Iga Swiatek in her first tournament since revelations that she served a one-month doping suspension.
It is the first season since 37-year-old Djokovic began playing that none of the other so-called “Big Four” would be on the other side of the net following the retirements this year of Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray. Roger Federer called it quits in 2022.
Photo: Reuters
As they faded, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz stepped up to become the new Grand Slam kings, with both men opting against a warm-up tournament leading into the first major of the year which begins on Jan. 12.
As doubts grew over Djokovic’s motivation and ability to take down the new guard after a disappointing year, he stunned the tennis world by hiring Murray to coach him.
The British three-time major winner is set to miss Brisbane, but hook up with his old rival at the Australian Open.
“I still will try to go strong, because I feel like my body is serving me well. I still have motivation to win Grand Slams, make more history,” said Djokovic, who needs one more Slam crown to surpass Margaret Court’s 24.
“That’s one of the biggest reasons why I asked Andy to work with me, because I still have big plans, so as long as that’s the case, I will keep going,” he said.
By his standards, last season was not kind, failing to win a Slam, claiming just one title — Olympic gold in Paris — and ending his season in October.
A resurgent Grigor Dimitrov, Holger Rune, and Frances Tiafoe are also playing in Brisbane, as is Australian Nick Kyrgios, who returns after injuries restricted him to just one ATP Tour singles match in two years.
He and Djokovic are set to play doubles together.
Challenging Sabalenka on Pat Rafter Arena would be US’ top talents Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro, ranked seven and eight respectively, along with former world No. 2 Ons Jabeur and veteran Victoria Azarenka.
Sabalenka, who beat China’s high-flying Zheng Qinwen in the Melbourne final this year, had a sensational year which culminated in being named WTA Player of Year this month.
The 26-year-old reached seven finals and won four titles, successfully defending the Australian Open, lifting her first US Open and winning WTA 1000 events in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Wuhan, China.
She also recaptured the No. 1 ranking from five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek, whose reputation was rocked last month when it was revealed she tested positive for a banned heart medication in August.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted that the violation was not intentional, and the Polish star escaped with a one-month sanction.
Swiatek called it “the worst experience of my life,” but said that “I know I will be stronger than ever.”
Her case is similar to that of Australian Open winner Sinner, who is still waiting for the outcome of a World Anti-Doping Agency appeal against his initial exoneration for twice testing positive for traces of the steroid clostebol in March.
The agency said a ruling was not expected before the new year, but it could conceivably be handed down before or during the Australian Open.
Two-time Australian Open winner Naomi Osaka begins her season at the Auckland Classic, hoping for a better year than this year when she failed to win a title.
Former US Open champions Emma Raducanu, a place above Osaka in the rankings at 57, and Bianca Andreescu are also starters in New Zealand.
SS Lazio on Monday fired the far-right sympathizer who handles their eagle mascot after he posted online a series of videos and pictures of his erect penis. Falconer Juan Bernabe, who has been present at Lazio home matches with Olimpia the eagle since the 2010-2011 season, posted the footage on social media after having surgery on Saturday to implant a penile prosthesis to improve his sexual performance. Lazio said that they had “terminated, with immediate effect” their relationship with Bernabe “due to the seriousness of his conduct,” adding that they were “shocked” by the images. The Serie A club added that Bernabe’s dismissal
‘TOUGH TO BREATHE’: Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur suffered an asthma attack in her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday cruised into the second round of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Iga Swiatek romped into a third-round women’s singles showdown with Emma Raducanu and Taylor Fritz was just as emphatic in his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title. Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the third seeds, defeated Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls of Britain 7-5, 6-2 in 90 minutes in Melbourne. Ostapenko and Hsieh — who won the women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Australian Open last year — hit 25 winners and converted five of nine break points to set
Dubbed a “motorway for cyclists” where avid amateurs can chase Tadej Pogacar up mountains teeming with the highest concentration of professional cyclists per square kilometer in the world, Spain’s Costa Blanca has forged a new reputation for itself in the past few years. Long known as the ideal summer destination for those in search of sun, sea and sand, the stretch of coast between Valencia and Alicante now has a winter vocation too. During the season break in December and January, the region experiences an invasion of cyclists. Star names such as three-time Tour de France winner Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe
AGING WELL: Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, 22, was sent packing after being dispatched by world No. 97, Laura Siegemund, the second-oldest player in the draw at 36 Novak Djokovic yesterday created a slice of Grand Slam history on his way into the Australian Open third round, but last year’s women’s finalist Zheng Qinwen was knocked out in the biggest shock so far. Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, in-form Coco Gauff, two-time Melbourne winner Naomi Osaka and a rampant Carlos Alcaraz were all victors on a rainy day four. Play was suspended on the outside courts for a couple of hours in the early evening because of the wet weather. That led to the rescheduling of a women’s doubles match between wild-cards Tsao Chia-yi of Taiwan and Thailand’s Peangtarn Plipuech and 11th
RSS