3 minute read
Novak Djokovic's path to an 11th Australian Open title and unprecedented 25th grand slam singles crown is littered with potential match-ups with old rivals.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic's bid for a record-extending 11th Australian Open title could include a third-round match against Andy Murray and a quarter-final against last year's runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Top-ranked Australian Alex de Minaur will need to make the semi-finals to have any hope of stopping Djokovic from becoming the most prolific grand slam singles winner in tennis after landing on the opposite side of the draw on Thursday.
But at least one home hope is likely to have the opportunity to change the course of sporting history.
Alexei Popyrin and wildcard Marc Polmans have been thrust into an all-Australian first-round match-up, with the winner to face Djokovic, unless the super Serb suffers a shock loss to a qualifier in his opener.
Djokovic lost his first singles match in Australia since 2018 when he succumbed to a wrist injury and an inspired de Minaur at last week's United Cup.
The 36-year-old has since looked strong and uninhibited in several practice sessions at Rod Laver Arena.
But the top seed will still likely need to rise to several challenges if he's to eclipse Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 singles majors.
Five-time Open runner-up Murray could be a hurdle in the last 32, while fellow veteran and triple grand slam champion Stan Wawrinka - who has conquered Djokovic in French and US Open finals - is a potential fourth-round roadblock.
On rankings, Djokovic's quarter-final opponent is seventh-seeded Tsitsipas, who enters the $86.5 million tournament under somewhat of a fitness cloud after a back injury hampered his United Cup campaign.
Compounding the Greek ace's troubles is a first-round shootout with former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini, with the unseeded Italian on the comeback from a serious ankle injury.
Djokovic could strike dangerous Italian fourth seed Jannik Sinner, who toppled the Serb twice in the space of a fortnight in November, in the semis.
But if the tournament's top two seeds live up to their billing, Djokovic will renew his compelling rivalry with Spanish young gun Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
Alcaraz, who denied Djokovic a calendar-year grand slam sweep last year with an epic five-set Wimbledon final triumph, opens his title bid against French veteran Richard Gasquet.
He could play sixth seed Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals and is seeded to meet two-time Open finalist and world No.3 Daniil Medvedev in the last four.
