Australian Open, the battle for the ranking throne

Three players have more than just the inaugural Grand Slam crown of the year to play at the 2023 Australian Open. Novak Djokovic, Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas start their campaigns knowing the chances of becoming the new number one in the rankings.

Norwegian number three Ruud can also claim the top spot by reaching the final, as long as neither Djokovic nor Tsitsipas win the title. If neither of those scenarios play out, the current reign of Carlos Alcaraz, who is out of Melbourne due to injury, will continue.

While Djokovic arrives in Melbourne as one of the favorites for the throne. He has won a record nine Australian Open titles, owns an 82-8 tournament record and started his 2023 season in impressive fashion by lifting his 92nd tour-level trophy at the Adelaide International. The Serb can return to the top of the world for the first time since June 6 by winning his 22nd Grand Slam title, which would equal Rafael Nadal’s mark.

“It’s not a secret. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to come back to Australia, because of my record here, particularly in the night sessions. I’m in good shape. I finished the year in the best possible way, beating great players.” Novak said.

Ruud is chasing his first Grand Slam crown in Melbourne and achieving the feat would give him double cause for celebration. He would become Norway’s first world number 1 at the age of 24, having already become his country’s first ATP champion, Nitto ATP Finals competitor and Grand Slam finalist.

If both Djokovic and Tsitsipas fall before the final in Melbourne, Ruud can seal the top spot by reaching the championship match. He made that run twice at Grand Slams in 2022, at Roland Garros and the US Open, where Alcaraz defeated him in a direct shootout to become world number one. Ruud’s best performance at the Australian Open was in the fourth round in 2021.

Like Ruud, Tsitsipas is aiming for his first Grand Slam crown and his first pinnacle. The world number 4 reached the Melbourne semifinals in 2019, 2021 and 2022 and has an overall record of 15-5 in the tournament. Tsitsipas must win the title in Melbourne to become world No. 1. The closest he got to Grand Slam victory was at Roland Garros in 2021, when he fell to Djokovic in five sets.

“We have younger guys coming from behind and there are still Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal playing good tennis. We have to deal with a lot of different things. In my case, I know that this year I can do a lot of things. I have the ability to withstand the pressures and the challenges that this year will bring me,” said the Greek tennis player.

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