Australian Open 2024: Players to watch out for at Melbourne Park

Iga Swiatek and Novak Djokovic are the top seeds and will be hot favourites for the title when the Australian Open gets underway on Sunday. In the women’s department, Swiatek would face stiff challenge from reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka and former winner Naomi Osaka. In the men’s department, Djokovic is targeting an 11th Australian Open title. With Rafael Nadal injured and missing the tournament, several younger players are out to stop him. We take a look at players to watch out for at Melbourne Park: Iga Swiatek [caption id=“attachment_13565852” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Iga Swiatek was the MVP at the United Cup where Poland finished runners-up. AP[/caption] The world number one is a four-time Grand Slam champion but has never gone past the semi-finals at Melbourne Park. The Polish player jumped to the top of the rankings after winning her first WTA Finals trophy in November. Swiatek’s stellar 2022 wasn’t matched the previous year and saw her 75-week run as number one ending in September. 22-year-old then lost only one match in 13 to finish the year on a high and followed up by winning all five of her singles matches at the United Cup last week. She was crowned the MVP at the mixed team event, where Poland finished runner-up. Aryna Sabalenka [caption id=“attachment_13584932” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka reacts after beating compatriot Victoria Azarenka in the semi-finals of the 2024 Brisbane International. AP[/caption] The 2023 Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka looked on course to finish the year as World No 1 until Swiatek pipped her by winning the WTA Finals. The Belarusian, who came from a set down to beat Elena Rybakina in the final last year, boasted a fine record at the majors last year. She reached the semi-finals in Paris and at Wimbledon before losing to Coco Gauff in the final of the US Open. Sabalenka reached the final of last week’s Brisbane International, where she was thumped by Rybakina. Elena Rybakina [caption id=“attachment_13585812” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] World No 4 Elena Rybakina poses with the winner’s trophy after defeating Aryna Sabalenka to win the Brisbane International. AP[/caption] The Russian-born Kazakh came close a year ago to adding the Australian Open title to her 2022 Wimbledon success, losing to Sabalenka in three sets. The World No 3 has started 2024 in style, dropping just three games in beating Sabalenka in the Brisbane final, where she lost only 15 games in five matches. “For sure it gives me confidence,” she said about her Australian Open prospects. “I’m playing well now, so hopefully I continue.” Naomi Osaka [caption id=“attachment_13564392” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Naomi Osaka has returned to tennis after a mental health-induced break. She also became a mother while away from court. AP[/caption] There are quite a few women making their comeback at the 2024 Australian Open such as Angelique Kerber, Emma Raducanu, Amanda Anisimova, Paula Badosa but no one would draw more attention than Naomi Osaka. The Japanese fan favourite lifted the winners’ Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup in 2019 and 2021. The former World No 1 has admitted she almost gave up on tennis but is now back in love with the sport. The 26-year-old stepped away from the game in September 2022, citing mental health concerns. She gave birth to daughter Shai and said she did not watch any tennis until last year’s Wimbledon. Osaka will be unseeded after dropping to 833 in the world but no top player will want to face her in the first round when the draw takes place on Thursday. Novak Djokovic [caption id=“attachment_13564522” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in action against China’s Zhizhen Zhang in their United Cup singles clash at Perth’s RAC Arena. AP[/caption] The Serb may be 36 but the 24-time Grand Slam winner is still the man to beat after hugely successful 2023 season, which included overcoming Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Australian Open final. Djokovic finished the year as World No. 1 after winning three of the four majors, with only Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon denying him a clean sweep. In total, Djokovic claimed seven titles to take his career haul to 98, including a record-equalling seventh ATP Finals crown. Coming into the Australian Open, there are fitness concerns for Djokovic with a right wrist injury seeing him lose to Alex de Minaur at the United Cup. It was his first defeat in Australia since 2019. Carlos Alcaraz [caption id=“attachment_13399802” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after winning the singles tennis match against Russia’s Daniil Medvedev at ATP World Tour Finals. AP[/caption] The 20-year-old’s triumph over Djokovic at Wimbledon reinforced his status as the hottest prospect in men’s tennis. And more importantly, one of the two players who can give Djokovic a serious challenge. At 2022 US Open, he had become the youngest champion of a men’s major since compatriot Nadal at the 2005 French Open. He also became the youngest man to ascend to World No. 2. Now ranked two, Alcaraz heads into the Australian Open as a serious contender after a year that saw him collect six titles. The question, though, is whether he can overcome Djokovic on the blue hard courts of Melbourne, where the Serbian has dominated for so long. Since Wimbledon, they’ve met twice, both on hard courts. Djokovic won both times. Jannik Sinner [caption id=“attachment_13510692” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Jannik Sinner led Italy to their first Davis Cup championship since 1976, won his first Masters 1000 trophy and made it to the title match at the ATP Finals before losing to Novak Djokovic, while finishing the 2023 season at a career-best No. 4 in the rankings. AP[/caption] Besides Alcaraz, the other player who could, and did, take the battle to Djokovic is Jannik Sinner. The 22-year-old Italian enjoyed a breakthrough 2023, winning his first Masters title, in Toronto, and making the championship match against Novak at the ATP Finals. He was also instrumental in helping Italy win the Davis Cup, beating Djokovic in three sets along the way. It led to plenty of praise and expectations that it is only a matter of time before the former champion skier wins a major. At a career-high four in the world, Sinner also won titles in Montpellier, Vienna and Beijing last season, notching wins over Alcaraz and Medvedev.