In many ways, this Australian Open feels like a return to normal. Covid-19 restrictions are down – no more two-week hotel quarantine for the hordes of players touching down in Australia. Novak Djokovic is back and terrifying rivals, his deportation saga in 2022 now ‘in the past’ (he says).
But there are two huge absences that show just how much times have changed. No Roger Federer, no Serena Williams – and the 43 Grand Slam singles crowns between them.
That’s not to say there aren’t megastars and potential future legends in the field.
But last week Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley made this bold claim spruiking the tournament: “I’m also proud of the fact that this year is our best field. As far as the entries go, every single player – we’ve had a few pullouts as you know from injury, but this is our best field we’ve had both on the men and the women.”
On the surface, it’s hard to make sense of that claim.
On the women’s side, a raft of the biggest names won’t be taking to the court at Melbourne Park come Monday.
It’s impossible not to start with Ash Barty, the reigning champion and our beloved Aussie superstar. In her absence, it was world number 35 Ajla Tomljanovic carrying the local hopes. She copped a nightmare draw after just missing out on a seeding for the top 32 players. And on Saturday she was left fighting back tears after being forced to withdraw with a knee injury.
Australia was left with five women’s singles entrants – but for the first time ever, all of those are wildcards. None are ranked in the top 150 in the world.
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While Serena Williams has retired, her sister Venus is still defying age as she enjoys her third decade on tour. Venus was granted a wildcard entry to the Aus Open this year, but was forced to pull out after an injury in a New Zealand warm-up tournament.
The list of absentees after that reads like an all-star cast.
Ex-No.1 Simona Halep, a two-time slam champ, is out with a drug suspension following the 2022 US Open.
Naomi Osaka, the two-time Aus Open champion with two US Opens to boot, pulled out before revealing she was pregnant.
2016 winner Angelique Kerber is also absent due to pregnancy.
It means that Victoria Azarenka (2012 and 2013 winner) and Sofia Kenin (2020) are the only two former champions in the field. Remarkably, the pair will face off in the very first round.
That remarkable quirk is a reflection of just how wide open the draw is – even before the draw was shaken up with the injury-forced withdrawals of Tomljanovic and 11th-seed Paula Badosa on Saturday.
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There is one dominant figure in the women’s game – Iga Swiatek, the Polish world number one at the tender age of just 21. She already boasts three Grand Slam titles, including the French and US Opens in 2022. Her lead in the world rankings is enormous – indeed, she has more points than her next two challengers combined.
She is a genuine superstar and looks set to be among the elite for many years to come. And while she appears to be a class above her rivals at present, there’s no doubt there are plenty of contenders in 2023.
Petra Kvitova and Garbine Muguruza have two majors apiece. Emma Raducanu, Bianca Andreescu, Sloane Stephens, Bianca Andreescu, and Barbora Krejčíková all have won a single slam.
Then there’s the likes of Tunisia’s world number two Ons Jabeur, Jessica Pegula, Caroline Garcia, and Aryna Sabalenka, all top-five players who seem certain to claim a handful of majors between them in the coming years.
The draw is certainly wide open and full of depth if you can look beyond the big absentees.
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On the men’s side, Federer’s retirement turned much of the focus toward the stratospheric rise of 19-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz – until the world number one was forced to pull out with injury.
Of course there’s Kyrgios and Kokkinakis leading a stacked field of Aussie hopefuls, and the duelling legends of Nadal and Djokovic.
Then there’s the likes of Holger Rune, Stefanos Tsitsipas and co – the next generation battering down the door.
But without one of the all-time greats in Federer and the current number one in Alcaraz, it’s a little hard to believe it’s the best field ever.
Not that that means it’s any less exciting. Wide open fields mean bigger upsets. New stars will emerge and take the limelight, the next generation may finally make the next step and unseat the greats like Djokovic and Nadal.
The field may not be the best ever, despite Tiley’s claims, but it might just be a blessing in disguise.
We could be in for a very special tournament.