Novak Djokovic is set to ignite his ongoing rivalry with two emerging talents in men's tennis at the Australian Open, as he aims for an 11th title and his 25th Grand Slam victory.
The sense of inevitability looms large, even after an early loss in 2024.
The 36-year-old defied the odds to hoist the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup last year, overcoming a ruptured hamstring and a distracting political row involving his father.
He went on to surpass Rafa Nadal's tally of 22 majors at the French Open.
Djokovic secured a third Grand Slam trophy late last season at the U.S. Open but was denied the Wimbledon title by the 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in a blockbuster five-set final – a result briefly heralded as the dawn of a new era.
Jannik Sinner, 22, emerged as another contender by defeating Djokovic three times in 11 days at the ATP Finals and Davis Cup. The young duo will seek an opportunity to dethrone the world No. 1 at his fortress.
Djokovic, who missed the 2022 Australian Open due to deportation over his COVID-19 vaccine stance, was hampered by a right wrist injury at the United Cup last week. His 43-match winning streak in Australia was finally snapped by Alex de Minaur.
It was only his second defeat in the country since a fourth-round loss to South Korea's Chung Hyeon in the 2018 Australian Open, where the Serb was plagued by an elbow issue.
With an 89-8 record at the year's first Grand Slam, Djokovic remains the firm favorite to claim a fifth title in six years and surpass Australian Margaret Court's haul of 24 major singles trophies.
Boris Becker, Djokovic's former coach, believes the current crop of youngsters will test him more frequently.
"I still expect Djokovic to win a Grand Slam or two. But I also believe Alcaraz and Co. will more often throw a spanner in the works," said Becker, now coaching young Dane Holger Rune, who conquered Djokovic in the 2022 Paris Masters final.
"I hope this rivalry between the most successful player of all time and the rest of the tennis world continues for a long time because we fans and amateur players benefit from it."
While the future of the game is in good hands, one of Djokovic's fiercest rivals over the years will not return to major tennis as planned in Australia, with Nadal pulling out due to a small muscle tear sustained during his defeat in Brisbane.
The Spaniard, who won his second Australian Open title in Djokovic's absence in 2022, was on the comeback trail following hip surgery and now faces fresh doubts about his ability to compete at the elite level, having already stated he expects to finish his career in 2024.
Former U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev was among the most consistent hardcourt players last year, and the Russian will eye another run to the final, hoping to banish memories of back-to-back defeats by Djokovic (2021) and Nadal (2022).
Other challengers include last year's runner-up, Stefanos Tsitsipas, the rejuvenated Alexander Zverev and a rising brigade of Americans led by Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe.