Defending champion Novak Djokovic will also be the favorite this year, with players like Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner giving him competition.
Among the women, the favorites are Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina.
On the other hand, this year the tournament will also be deprived of several famous players whose game could brighten up the Australian Open.
Madison Keys
Madison Keys is a two-time Australian Open semi-finalist (2015 and 2022), jyf has decided to withdraw from this year’s tournament due to a shoulder injury.
The 28-year-old American beat world number two Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals of last year’s US Open. If Keys was fit, she would be a formidable opponent for any Melbourne player.
Karolina Muchova
Karolina Muchova was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to a wrist injury.
The world number nine had a stunning 2023 season, where she reached the French Open final. A former semi-finalist in Melbourne (2021), Muchova could go far if she is in good shape this year.
Petra Kvitova
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova has good reason to miss this year’s Australian Open. She is pregnant and plans to give birth to her first child this summer.
The 33-year-old Czech is married to Jiri Vanek, who has been her coach for a long time.
Bianca Andreescu
Bianca Andreescu is still recovering from a back injury that has kept her out of action since August last year.
The 23-year-old tennis player is a former US Open champion and one of the best on hard court when she is fit. She recently hinted that she could return to the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells in March.
Nick Kyrgios
This is the second consecutive Australian Open tournament that Nick Kyrgios will miss. The Australian underwent knee surgery last year and subsequently injured his wrist. During the year 2023, he played only one match at the Stuttgart Open.
Venus Williams
Another top tennis player who will miss TBS in Australia this year is Venus Williams.
The 43-year-old tennis player rarely plays currently and has decided not to participate in the Australian Open, but the American intends to participate in the Sunshine Double tournament in March.
Rafael Nadal
The news of Rafael Nadal’s absence from the 2024 Australian Open came as a shock to the tennis world. The 37-year-old returned to tennis after a year away and played in Brisbane, but lost to Australian Jordan Thompson in the quarter-finals.
Nadal suffered another muscle tear, forcing him to withdraw from the Australian Open, which he has won twice in his career – in 2009 and 2022.
Source: Sport
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
