Top contenders for Aussie Open

HERE are the ten top contenders for the men's and women’s titles at the Australian Open, which starts on Monday.

TOP FIVE - MEN

NOVAK DJOKOVIC

The former world number one is looking to match Rafa Nadal's record of 22 Grand Slam titles and returns to Australia hoping to make headlines on the court following his deportation last year over his Covid vaccine stance.

Djokovic overcame a hamstring issue and saved a championship point in Adelaide to win the final and maintain his unbeaten streak in Australia, which now stands at 33 matches since his last loss in the fourth round of the 2018 Australian Open.

The 35-year-old is seeking a record-extending 10th title in Melbourne.

RAFA NADAL

Nadal is looking to defend his hard-earned 2022 crown and is the de facto number one in Melbourne following the injury withdrawal of fellow Spaniard and US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz.

The 36-year-old did not have the best of starts to the season, however, losing both his matches in the inaugural United Cup.

But Nadal put that down to rust having skipped tournaments in an injury-ravaged 2022 season where he won four titles, including two majors.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV

The former world number one will be hoping to make it third-time lucky in Melbourne after losing the 2021 and 2022 finals to Djokovic and Nadal, respectively.

Medvedev has slipped to eighth in the rankings but the Russian counter-puncher and hard court specialist has vowed to find a way to rediscover his 2021 form when he won his first major at the US Open.

NICK KYRGIOS

The mercurial Australian has not played on tour since October and did not play in tune-up events due to a niggling injury, but such is his talent that he could walk into the main draw without match practice and still swat opponents aside.

Kyrgios won the doubles title in Melbourne and followed it up with a run to the Wimbledon final where he lost to Djokovic, who has agreed to play the 27-year-old in a practice match on Rod Laver Arena before the Grand Slam kicks off.

CASPER RUUD

Last year marked a turning point for Ruud who made deep runs in tournaments and reached finals of Grand Slams, Masters and the season-ending ATP Finals -- only to finish on the losing side every time.

Ruud even had the opportunity to clinch the world number one spot before Alcaraz triumphed in the US Open final.

A clay court specialist, Ruud has adapted well to hard courts and learned to manage five-set matches. He has his eye on another deep run in Melbourne having moved up to third in the rankings.

TOP FIVE - WOMEN

IGA SWIATEK

Iga Swiatek is the firm favourite for the season's first Grand Slam after a sparkling and dominant 2022 season where she went on a 37-match winning run and won eight titles, including Roland Garros and the US Open.

The world number one has had a less than ideal start to the New Year, however. Swiatek suffered a shock defeat to Jessica Pegula in the United Cup and withdrew from the Adelaide event with a shoulder injury, which she will hope to shake off in time for the major.

ONS JABEUR

Tunisian trailblazer Ons Jabeur climbed up to second in the rankings in a historic 2022 season where she came tantalisingly close to becoming the first African woman and the first Arab to win a Grand Slam singles title.

After making the finals at both Wimbledon and the US Open, Tunisia's “Minister of Happiness" will look to finally go one step further in Melbourne and add a major to her three career titles.

COCO GAUFF

Coco Gauff had the tennis world in a frenzy in 2019 when she qualified for Wimbledon's main draw aged 15 and made a splash by reaching the fourth round.

At 18, Gauff is still searching for her first Grand Slam title after falling short at last year's French Open and struggled at the WTA Finals, but will head to Melbourne brimming with confidence after a dominant title run in Auckland.

CAROLINE GARCIA

After an inauspicious start to last season, Caroline Garcia scooped up titles in Cincinnati, Bad Homburg and Warsaw, reached her first Grand Slam semi-final at the US Open, and won the season-ending WTA Finals to claim her biggest career title.

A sensational second half of the campaign elevated the 29-year-old back to her career-high fourth spot in the rankings before the Australian Open, where she looks set to take another step in her remarkable resurgence.

JESSICA PEGULA

Jessica Pegula will enter the year's first Grand Slam at a career-high world number three and after one of the biggest wins of her career, having beaten Iga Swiatek en route to leading the United States to the inaugural United Cup title.

After winning the most prestigious title of her career in Guadalajara, Pegula struggled on her WTA Finals debut but has shown no signs of a 2022 hangover in the build-up to her fourth Australian Open campaign, where she has reached the quarter-finals twice.