He is 37 and looking for his 25th Grand Slam title and his 11th AustralianOpen title, a feat no one has achieved.
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Recent Performance and Form
Djokovics preparation suffereda setback in the form of a stunning loss toReilly Opelka, at the Brisbane International. Djokovic lost to Opelka, who has an imposing serve,7-6 (8-6), 6-3. Not what he needed on the eve of Melbourne, this shock result raises an eyebrow next tohis current form.
The 2024 season was difficult, even by Djokovics standards: the first year since 2017 without a Grand Slam titlefor him. Still,he did make into history books, winning the Olympic gold medal in Paris when he beat Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
Competition and Seeding
The mens game is also adding its share of top competitors, as the ATP rankings are increasingly showing, withtheir latest generation of rising stars led by Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. With two Grand Slam Titles in 2024 under his belt, Sinner looksvery much like he has a chance after defeating Djokovic in the semi-finals of last year's Australian Open Alcaraz also captured two majorslast year and is hungry for a career Grand Slam.
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Djokovics rankingin thecurrent order also means he could enter the Australian Open as no higher than the lowest seed since Wimbledon 2018 which could result in tough early round matches
Djokovic is a pileof experience in Grand Slams and a danger for everybody, said fellow ATP player Lorenzo Musetti, who has faced Djokovic on multiple occasions and like many other ATP players has his eyes set on the Australian Open as a target event on his 2024 calendar. While the now older talent may be putting pressure on the youngsters, Musetti explains how the eraof Djokovic is still a face as intimidating as ever.
And finally, there was Djokovic having recruitedformer rival Andy Murray to be his coach just before the event, which could provide some freshness or newideas. Despite some recent results indicating potential vulnerabilities, his unmatched pedigreeand prior success at Melbourne (not to mention anywhere else) make him an opponent more than worthy of fear. His resilience and strategic acumen will be essential as he confronts a heavily congested field in quest of his25th Grand Slam title.
