Tennis

Australian Open 2023 – Most Important Tournament for the GOAT Race?

Since the 2022 ATP season has come to a close, the players are enjoying some much-deserved rest time. However, I have no doubt that after a few weeks off the top guys will enter their pre-season training block. Of course, the reason for this is that the Australian tournaments already begin before 2023 even begins. And as you may also know, the 2023 Australian Open isn’t all that far away.

In fact, the first Grand Slam of the 2023 ATP season is set to begin on January 16th. So realistically, while the players are now in the ‘off-season’, they haven’t got a ton of time before they need to get back in the groove. On that note, I’ve no doubt that guys like Djokovic, Nadal, Auger-Aliassime, Alcaraz, and many others will be training hard during December. 

Australian Open 2023

With this in mind, I know it might be a little early, but with so much excitement surrounding the 2023 Australian Open, I just had to give an overview of this tournament from one particular viewpoint. As you’ve seen from the title, the angle I want to take here is how important the event is for the ever-growing GOAT debate. 

Since Federer has called it a day, and because both Nadal and Djokovic have more slams now, I shall be focusing on these two guys. So let’s get started.

Nadal and Djokovic at the 2023 Australian Open

At the time of writing, it is expected that both Nadal and Djokovic will compete at the 2023 Australian Open. After all, that’s why I am choosing to pay close attention to this event and its role in the GOAT race. Of course, if Nadal was to win the tournament he would move to 23 slams ahead of the 2023 French Open. 

But if Djokovic wins the tournament, the two guys are level and it will be all to play for. Other than these facts, here’s why I think the Australian Open is so pivotal with regard to the GOAT debate:

Nadal Looks to Be Losing Steam

I’ve talked about this after watching Nadal at both the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals. For me, there is something missing in his tennis since the birth of his first child combined with the retirement of Roger Federer. He seemed to end the 2022 season with less passion, fight, and his level of tennis was poor by his standards. So really, if he is now in decline, he must win the Australian Open to keep Djokovic at bay.

Djokovic Needs to Win to Relieve Pressure Going Into French Open

It’s no great secret that Nadal is still the King at the French Open. And despite his poor end to the 2022 season, I reckon he is still the favorite at the 2023 French Open. So assuming he was to pick up another title there, Djokovic absolutely has to win the tournament to prevent Nadal from pulling too far clear.

My Prediction – Djokovic to Win the Tournament

In my personal opinion, I think Djokovic will win the 2023 Australian Open. His end to the 2022 season was pretty phenomenal, and he still seems to be improving, despite his age. And yes, I know that guys like Alcaraz and Auger-Aliassime are also shining through. But despite these guys being a threat, I still think Djokovic has it in the bag.


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