Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal to kickstart bid for 2023 supremacy in Australia

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal kickstart their 2023 campaigns this week in Adelaide and Sydney respectively, with the famous person veterans and nice rivals eyeing up but extra Australian Open glory.

With the pair sharing 43 Grand Slam titles between them — Djokovic has 21 and Nadal 22 — the scene is ready for an epic showdown at Melbourne Park in January.

Nadal is the defending Australian Open champion and Djokovic is a nine-time winner.

Djokovic returns Down Beneath for the primary time since being sensationally detained after which deported forward of the 2022 Australian Open due to his refusal to get vaccinated for Covid-19.

He begins his bid for an unbelievable tenth Australian Open title on the Adelaide Worldwide from Sunday, following a troubled and truncated yr wherein he missed two majors due to his vaccine standing.

Djokovic was initially barred from coming into Australia earlier than 2025, however a brand new authorities in Canberra reversed the ruling and he’s now gunning for extra silverware at his most profitable Grand Slam venue.

“Through the years I’ve been actually lucky to begin very sturdy in Australia and I like enjoying there,” stated the world quantity 5 in Dubai final week, after ending 2022 with a record-equalling sixth ATP Tour Finals crown.

“After clearly what occurred earlier this yr, hopefully I can have a good reception there and hopefully that may assist me play some good tennis.”

He’ll face a top-notch area in Adelaide, together with Felix Auger-Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev, ranked six, seven and eight respectively.

In Djokovic’s absence this yr, Spanish nice Nadal swept previous Medvedev to win the Australian Open in an epic five-setter — then backed it up with a 14th French Open.

‘A number of hours on court docket’

Nadal will start his preparations in Sydney on the United Cup, a brand new mixed-teams occasion, the place a blockbuster showdown with Australian showman Nick Kyrgios will check his credentials.

Eighteen international locations will compete within the occasion throughout 11 days from Thursday, with Brisbane, Perth and Sydney internet hosting group video games in a round-robin format.

Ties comprise two males’s and two ladies’s singles matches and one combined doubles.

The finals series will likely be performed in Sydney.

World quantity three Casper Ruud and Germany’s Alexander Zverev, who’s getting back from a critical ankle harm, will take part.

High-ranked Carlos Alcaraz will heat up on the Kooyong Basic exhibition in Melbourne from January 10-12 as he battles again from the belly harm that shortened his pre-season coaching block.

The 19-year-old Spaniard, a significant risk to Djokovic and Nadal, missed the season-ending ATP Finals and Davis Cup Finals with a muscle tear, however is assured he will likely be prepared.

“I might say the bottom line is to practise lots, spend a whole lot of hours on court docket,” he stated this month.

“I will likely be prepared and one hundred pc heading into Australia.”

Italy’s Jannik Sinner and world quantity 9 Taylor Fritz, amongst others, may also use Kooyong to fine-tune.

Ladies’s world primary Iga Swiatek will acclimatise in Perth along with her Polish teammates on the United Cup on the again of profitable the French Open and US Open in 2022.

The three-time Grand Slam champion is concentrating on a primary Australian Open title after dropping within the semis this yr to Danielle Collins, who then crashed to Ashleigh Barty within the closing.

Swiatek inherited the highest rating following the shock retirement of Barty in March, and has been dominant ever since.

American world quantity three Jessica Pegula and resurgent French world quantity 4 Caroline Garcia, contemporary from beating Aryna Sabalenka to win the WTA Finals, additionally function on the United Cup.

4 of the opposite prime 10 ladies start the yr in Adelaide, with second-ranked Ons Jabeur, world quantity 5 Sabalenka, world quantity eight Daria Kasatkina and world quantity 9 Veronika Kudermetova all entered.