Australia Open 2023 is reaching closer to its fans, bringing the best players back to town. Novak Djokovic returns to the tournament after he was deported in the previous edition for being unvaccinated. He is a nine-time winner looking to challenge Rafael Nadal, the defender of his title.
Carlos Alcaraz has his eyes set on the title as well. Finding a way to justify his top position in the ranks across the globe could come to an end in this tournament. Nadal may be defending the title, but he will contest as he has never had his hands on the trophy. The 2022 edition was a close final event with Daniil Medvedev and retaining the title only makes sense now.
Ashleigh Barty won the final to become the first Australian champion in 44 years. She will be unable to fight for retention due to the retirement factor. Iga Swiatek, who ranks number 1 in the women’s category, will begin the tournament as a favorite to make it to the top after ending the last edition in the Semi-Final round.
However, Iga Switek enters as a pre-tournament favorite. Some of the best tennis betting sites predict that she has a better chance of making it to the top two. Her performance was remarkable, except that she could not make it past the Semis. 2023 could be her year without Barty, who had the drive to retain the title.
Australia Open 2023 begins on January 09, 2023, with qualification happening before the actual event commences on January 16, 2023. It will run through January 28, 2023, for women and through January 29, 2023, for men.
Nadal lifted his 21st grand slam title after coming back from 2 sets down. It was a shocker for Medvedev, who had to settle for the runner-up position.
Prize money totals $76.5 million AUS. This is an increase of 3.4% of the prize that was given in 2022. Craig Tiley, the Tournament Director, has talked about increasing the prize money. He has said it has been upped for every round, from qualifying to the finals. Craig has added that the prize money will help players invest more in their careers and set them up for future success.
As for Djokovic, he looks to be back in the news for vaccination-related regulation. In a recently announced news, he is likely to miss Indian Wells and the Miami Open after the US travel authorities extend the requirement for non-US nationals to be vaccinated. According to media reports, non-US nationals are required to have proof of vaccination till April 10 despite other countries losing this regulation. Djokovic is currently unvaccinated. Australia Open 2023 is set to welcome all the players and fans from around the world.
