Rafael Nadal’s participation in the 2024 Australian Open is not certain (Image: GETTY)
The 2024 tennis season is very much underway and the countdown to the opening Grand Slam has begun too. The Australian Open begins on Sunday 14th with there hopes that Rafael Nadal will make a long-awaited return to Grand Slam tennis, with Briton Emma Raducanu among the other players who have been away from the court for months.
Novak Djokovic is likely to be the man to beat provided the Serb’s own injury scare is not serious. He suffered a first defeat in Australia since 2018 at a warm-up tournament in Brisbane.
But 24-time Slam winner Djokovic has won four of the last five Opens – only missing out in 2022 because he was banned from entering the country due to not having a Covid jab.
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Iga Swiatek is the strong women’s favourite after winning the French Open last year. The Pole has never triumphed in Australia but last season went on a 37-match winning streak – the longest such run in the WTA for 25 years.
Aryna Sabalenka, the reigning champion, and last year’s runner-up Elena Rybakina will be among her fiercest foes at Melbourne Park.
Express Sport brings you all the tennis news you need to know ahead of the Australian Open below…
9 mins ago09: 02 Charlie Malam
Novak Djokovic injury updateNovak Djokovic’s coach Goran Ivanisevic insists the Serb will be fine for the Australian Open later this month.
Speaking to B92, he said: “There is that problem with the wrist, but the most important thing is that he will be ready in 10-11 days.
“And we’ll have a few days of rest, so we’ll start training slowly. It’s not a big problem. We came here to play a few matches, that’s what he did.
“He played three good matches. Maybe today it wasn’t good in terms of results, but he was certainly a good preparation and that’s what he needed.”
Djokovic meanwhile explained after losing a United Cup match to Alex de Minaur: “I think I have enough time to get myself in the right shape for the Australian Open, and that’s what matters the most at this point.
“I think I’ll be okay, to be honest.”
Novak Djokovic struggled with a wrist injury against Alex de Minaur (Image: GETTY)
50 mins ago08: 21 Charlie Malam
Incredible Svitolina reaches ASB Classic finalElina Svitolina is playing her first tournament since the US Open last year – which came after a year off to give birth to her daughter – and has reached the final.
The Ukrainian will face Coco Gauff in an exciting match-up in Auckland tomorrow.
No 2 seed Svitolina came from a set down to defeat Wang Xiyu while Gauff defeated Emma Navarro.
It will be Svitolina’s first final since May when she won the WTA 500 Internationaux de Strasbourg.
1 hour ago07: 57 Charlie Malam
Holger Rune into Brisbane finalWe have one of our finalists confirmed for the Brisbane International – Holger Rune.
The 20-year-old Dane beats Roman Safiullin 6-4 7-6(0) and is into the ninth tour-level final of his prodigious career.
Rafa Nadal’s conqueror Jordan Thompson faces Grigor Dimitrov in the second semi-final at 10.30am UK time to determine who he will face in the final.
Rune can win a fifth ATP title before the age of 21 at the Pat Rafter Arena tomorrow.
1 hour ago07: 44 Charlie Malam
Nadal ‘scared’ about injury with fears he may miss Aus OpenRafael Nadal’s prospects of playing the Australian Open this month are currently up in the air after his Brisbane International loss to Jordan Thompson.
The former World No 1 has been out for almost a year and needed treatment on his leg, in a similar area to where he required hip surgery last year.
Nadal admitted: “For sure it’s not the same like last year at all because when it happened last year I felt something drastic immediately.
“The only problem is because the place is the same you are a little bit more scared than usual.
“I hope it’s not important and I hope to have the chance to be practising next week and to play Melbourne.
“Honestly, I am not 100 per cent sure of anything now. A lot of things can be happening in a body like my body, after a year without playing tennis.
“So hopefully it is just that, just a muscle that is supercharged. If that’s the thing, everything perfect. That’s why… I have been talking with a lot of precaution.
“If things happens, if I have one problem there, one problem to the other part of the body, I need to accept.”
Rafael Nadal is not sure if he will play the Australian Open or not (Image: GETTY)
2 hours ago07: 22 Charlie Malam
Australian Open qualifying wildcards announcedAlexander Blockx, the young Belgian, is the only one of 18 Australian Open qualifying wildcards not to be an Aussie.
The wildcards for the preliminary phase have been confirmed and all of them bar Blockx have gone to players from the same nation of the tournament.
There are high hopes for Blockx, 18, who is the reigning Australian Open junior champion. He is ranked 350th in the world with the ATP currently.
2 hours ago07: 01 Charlie Malam
Good morning!Good morning and welcome to the weekend!
There’s plenty going on in tennis – so stick around for all the major news.
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