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Monday formally marked three weeks till the Australian Open begins. In a traditional world, the primary Grand Slam of 2021 would already be underway. As a substitute, the coronavirus pandemic dictates that we’ve got to attend a little bit longer.
What we already know at this level is that the good Roger Federer is not going to be competing in Melbourne subsequent month, having taken the choice to withdraw from the match.
His agent Tony Godsick mentioned: “He has made robust progress within the final couple of months along with his knee and his health.
“Nonetheless, after session along with his staff, he determined that one of the best choice for him in the long term is to return to aggressive tennis after the Australian Open.”
Some unofficial and unconfirmed claims recommend Federer’s spouse Mirka was not eager on the concept of spending two weeks locked in a lodge room with their 4 kids in Australia.
The Slam’s guidelines dictate that solely gamers can go away their rooms within the first fortnight after initially arriving in Australia to apply and go tovthe fitness center for a most of 5 hours per day with chosen companions to make sure a strict quarantine bubble.
The Australian authorities are taking a hardline stance as they give the impression of being to stop the Open being riddled by constructive COVID-19 exams within the wake of recent strains of the lethal virus throughout the globe, even regardless of Novak Djokovic‘s obvious calls for for guidelines to be tweaked.
And so within the absence of the 39-year-old Federer, a six-time winner of this main, eyes naturally flip in direction of his two ‘Huge Three’ rivals Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic is the reigning Australian Open champion having overwhelmed Nadal a 12 months in the past and has been victorious right here in each of the previous two years and in addition in seven of the final 10 tournaments. That accounts for almost half of his complete Grand Slam whole.
The one different winners since 2010 had been Stan Wawrinka in 2014 and Federer, in 2017 and 2018, with Nadal solely a one-time champion and never since 2009.
The stress then is massively on Djokovic, though Nadal has additionally reached 4 finals since his sole triumph on the Rod Laver Enviornment in Melbourne Park.
The Serbian, who ended 2020 as world No 1 and ended the calendar 12 months atop the ATP Tour’s rankings for a sixth time in doing so, has making as much as do for the tip of final 12 months.
Although Wimbledon was cancelled, taking away one Slam wherein he’d have been large favorite, he squandered the prospect to make it 18 on the US Open when he was defaulted.
And on the rescheduled French Open after that he was hammered by Nadal in straight units on the Paris clay, seeing the older 34-year-old be a part of veteran Federer on 20 majors because of this.
Nadal is sort of sure to win at Roland Garros once more in 2021, and possibly in 2022 too though Dominic Thiem will hope to turn out to be the brand new ‘King of Clay’ after his maiden Slam within the States final 12 months.
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Profitable the French Open twice extra would put Nadal on 22 and that ought to see him away from Federer, who will face a check to even add yet another Slam to his whole, nevermind two.
Which means it’s on the Australian Open, a match the place Djokovic has been so dominant over the previous decade, the place the Serb should put the hammer down.
Profitable it subsequent month would put him on 18 Slams headed into the French Open in Could the place Nadal might be big favorite to once more stretch his benefit over Djokovic to 3 majors.
However failing to take action would depart him chasing the Majorcan by 4 and Nadal seems to have conquered his health issues for the time-being.
4 slams wouldn’t be a totally insurmountable distinction however the sport’s subsequent technology solely proceed to up their sport and Djokovic is nowhere close to as dominant within the US as he’s in Australia, the place the situations go well with him right down to the bottom.
Thiem, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev specifically ought to solely proceed to pose more durable exams to Djokovic on the hard-court and grass-court Slams, which means the eventual retirement of Federer takes one elite-level rival out of the combo.
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Thiem has tasted glory now and Medvedev, Tsitsipas and Zverev do not seem distant from successful majors, with the Greek and the Russian having been victorious on the final two editions of the ATP Finals.
They are going to be hungry to take over from the Federer, Nadal and Djokovic-dominated period and the latter might be keenly conscious of the menace they pose over the approaching years.
The Australian Open and Wimbledon might be his finest bets of including to his haul of Slams, with Thiem trying poised to succeed Nadal as the person to beat in France.
However Djokovic turns 34 in Could and is steadily however absolutely coming into his twilight years, even when Federer is ready to proceed enjoying on the ATP Tour into his 40s.
And so getting 2021 off to a superb begin feels crucial for Djokovic and his probabilities of being recognised because the ‘Best of All Time’ over Federer and Nadal – no less than statistically – might effectively even depend upon it. No stress Novak.
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