10 players to watch at the Australian Open
There is no shortage of talent on display at Melbourne Park.
Rafael Nadal defends his Australian Open title and Novak Djokovic returns while Iga Swiatek heads the women’s field in Melbourne.
The absence of Carlos Alcaraz is a blow for the tournament as well as the next generation’s hopes of gaining more ground in the men’s game, and home star Ashleigh Barty will also be missed after retiring following her 2022 triumph.
Here, the PA news agency picks out 10 players to watch at Melbourne Park.
Rafael Nadal
Novak Djokovic
Casper Ruud
Nick Kyrgios
Holger Rune
Iga Swiatek
Ons Jabeur
Stylish Tunisian Jabeur proved Swiatek’s closest challenger in 2022 – albeit not very close. Blazing a trail for Arab and African women, Jabeur is peaking in her late 20s and will look to reach a third consecutive grand slam final. An exuberant presence on and off the court, the 28-year-old is a big asset for the women’s game.
Jessica Pegula
Caroline Garcia
What a 2022 for 29-year-old Frenchwoman Garcia, who pulled herself out of the doldrums and climbed from 74 in the rankings to four. She broke new ground by reaching the semi-finals of the US Open and then ended the season by winning her biggest career title at the WTA Finals.
Linda Fruhvirtova
The never-ending production line of Czech female talent is one of the wonders of tennis. The latest crop is led by 18-year-old Linda Noskova and the Fruhvirtova sisters – 17-year-old Linda and 15-year-old Brenda. Noskova fell in qualifying but Brenda will make her grand slam debut alongside Linda, who already has a WTA title to her name.
