Novak Djokovic To Jannik Sinner: Five Men To Watch At The Australian Open

Novak Djokovic is targeting an 11th Australian Open title and in the absence of injured Rafael Nadal several younger players are out to stop him. Here's a list of five men to watch when the first Grand Slam of the year begins on Sunday:

Novak Djokovic

He may be 36 but the 24-time Grand Slam winner is still the man to beat after another hugely successful 2023, which included overcoming Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Melbourne final.

The Serbian finished the year as world number one 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 Tour Finals crown.

But there is concern around a right wrist injury which saw him lose to Alex de Minaur at the United Cup in Perth last week.

Carlos Alcaraz

The 20-year-old Spaniard's triumph over Djokovic on the grass at Wimbledon reinforced his status as the hottest prospect in men's tennis.

His breakthrough for a maiden Slam title at the US Open in 2022 made him 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 number one.

Now ranked two, Alcaraz heads into the Australian Open as a serious contender after a year that saw him collect six titles.

The unanswered question is whether he can overcome Djokovic on the blue hard courts of Melbourne, where the Serbian has dominated for so long.

Since Wimbledon, the pair have played twice, both on hard courts. Djokovic won both times.

Daniil Medvedev

The 27-year-old Russian is a two-time finalist at the opening Grand Slam of the year. He was outplayed by Djokovic in 2021 before a heart-wrenching