Three Reasons Why Djokovic Remains Australian Open Favourite Despite Injury Scare

07/01/2024 06:45 | by Nurein Ahmed

Novak Djokovic's preparations for the year's first Grand Slam have been far from ideal after picking up a wrist injury during Serbia's United Cup defeat to Australia.

Djokovic, who lost his long unbeaten run on Australian soil after losing to Alex de Minaur, is in a race against time to recover and spearhead his 11th title bid Down Under.

Djokovic has built an aura of invincibility at the Australian Open, and he remains upbeat about his recovery, believing it is not a major concern ahead of his title defense. Despite the injury scare, here are three reasons why Djokovic's odds are unlikely to diminish in the slightest.

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3. Winning record against direct rivals

Novak Djokovic's main competition at the 2024 Australian Open will come from players ranked in the world's Top 10. Djokovic's dominance is reflected in how many times he defeated that lot in 2023. He owns a winning head-to-head record against Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner, and Alexander Zverev.

Outside Djokovic, the quartet are strong favorites to win the year's first major. But Djokovic has a mental edge over that group, and the positive thing is that he might only need to beat at most two of them for the 11th Australian Open.

2. Has won Australian Open with injury

Djokovic has won the Australian Open with an injury on two occasions in the last three years (missed 2022 for being unvaccinated). That is not to say he can win again while having physical discomfort.

But Djokovic's injuries in 2021 (abdominal tear) and 2023 (hamstring tear) clearly indicate that he is not panicking. He has already stated that he has ample time to recover from his recent wrist struggles that ended Serbia's bid at the United Cup.

1. Unbeaten in Melbourne Since 2018

While Djokovic's 43-match winning streak on Australian soil came to a screeching halt with defeat to Alex de Minaur at the United Cup, the Serb has not lost at the Australian Open since 2018. Back then, he had just returned from elbow surgery and lost to Hyeon Chung in the fourth round.

Since then, he has won 28 straight matches in Melbourne and four titles. He is only the second man to win one of the four Slams in double figures (after Rafael Nadal's 14 French Opens) and has done so at the Australian Open. Additionally, Djokovic is 10-0 in the Australian Open finals.

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