The 2019 tennis season concluded in spectacular fashion, as Spain secured victory at the Davis Cup Finals in Madrid, largely thanks to typically impressive displays from Rafael Nadal, who was instrumental in the success of his country at the tournament.
Currently the best male tennis player in the world, following his inspirational Davis Cup displays, Nadal has now topped the ATP Rankings for more than 200 weeks during his remarkable career. This feat is made all the more impressive given the stiff competition provided by Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray, during a golden generation for men’s tennis.
As we bid farewell to another exciting season of tennis, many of the leading stars of the sport will now take a short break to rest and recover over in December. However, there’s no doubt that for some, the time will be put to good use by training hard for the year to come, given that the first Grand Slam of 2020 will soon be upon us in the middle of January.
The Australian Open in Melbourne has proven to be a fascinating battleground for more than a decade, with the “big four” of Federer, Murray, Nadal and Djokovic typically dominating the prestigious tournament. They will all be competing again at the 2020 tournament, keen to make the final at the Rod Laver Arena and lift the Norman Brooks Challenge Cup, so let’s take a look at their expectations.
Novak Djokovic
There’s a simple reason why Djokovic is favourite to dominate in Melbourne, according to the latest Australian Open odds. The Serbian has won the opening Grand Slam competition of the year seven times, including his victory in 2019 when he beat Nadal in the final, maintaining his excellent record against the Spaniard when the pair have met at the tournament, resuming their fierce on-court rivalry in yet another spectacular display of tennis.
Having won 5 ATP tournament titles in 2019, including the Australian Open and Wimbledon Grand Slam double, Djokovic will be hoping to start the 2020 tennis season with continued success. However, there are lingering concerns about his fitness, given there were constant struggles with injury throughout the year. That said, he seemed in peak shape more recently, claiming to be clear of a shoulder problem that forced his withdrawal from the US Open.
Andy Murray
Ahead of the 2019 Australian Open, Murray held an emotional press conference to explain that the tournament could be his last. Having suffered over recent years with so many injury problems, the British tennis star admitted that continuing to play at the highest level was a constant struggle. Nevertheless, the 32-year-old underwent hip surgery following the tournament and after receiving his knighthood later in 2019, returned to competitive tennis.
Murray boasts an excellent record at the Australian Open having reached the final on five occasions, although he’s never actually won the tournament. Having overcome such difficult injury and fitness problems, Murray has ended the 2019 season playing some inspirational tennis again. Although he won’t be considered much more than an outsider at the 2020 tournament in Melbourne, he will certainly be battling to reach the latter stages.
Rafa Nadal
As the top-ranked player on the ATP tour right now, it’s fair to say that anyone who can get past Nadal probably stands a good chance of winning tournaments. Having won the 2019 French Open and US Open Grand Slam titles, the man from Mallorca demonstrated exceptional form throughout the year, therefore he will undoubtedly be eager to start the new season with victory at the Australian Open.
That said, even though he has often performed very well in Australia, winning the title in 2009 following a marathon encounter with Federer, Nadal has failed to win any of the subsequent four finals he has reached in Melbourne. After losing the 2012 final to Djokovic, he was beaten by Stan Wawrinka in 2014, then Federer in 2017 and Djokovic again in 2019. Don’t be surprised to see the next chapter of the Nadal-Djokovic rivalry being written in 2020.
Roger Federer
The Swiss tennis star may be 38 and very much in the twilight of his professional tennis career, but there’s no sign that Federer is any nearer to contemplating hanging up his racket just yet. “I will never retire,” he joked on the NBC Today show recently, despite rumours that he might well do so after competing at the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan. Still competing at the highest level and capable of reaching major tournament finals, he seems intent to carry on.
Federer also boasts a strong record at the Australian Open, reaching and winning his first Melbourne final back in 2004. The Swiss superstar has won the tournament on six occasions, with the latest triumph on the famous blue courts coming in 2018 against Marin Čilić. That record is only surpassed by Djokovic, although it’s fair to say that Federer will surely be amongst the favourite contenders aiming to triumph in 2020.
Who Will Win?
While the competition from Murray and Federer will be fierce as always, it’s hard to look beyond one of either Nadal or Djokovic being the dominant forces at the 2020 Australian Open. Djokovic will remain the favourite to triumph and land his eighth title at the Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne, although Nadal will certainly be pushing him all the way, such is their rivalry.
