Will it be a Happy New Year for Novak Djokovic… the burning questions for tennis in 2023

The new tennis season is scheduled to start on Thursday after a short winter break, when the Australian Open kicks off.

Former world number 1 Novak Djokovic will return to the tournament after being unable to compete in the season-opening Grand Slam in 2022 after he was deported from Australia for fears he incited anti-vax sentiment.

The Serb is now the favorite for The Open ahead of his return and there is much more to look forward to – here’s what to keep in mind as it all kicks off again in Australia…

New year, same champions?

Hidden in the men’s year-end rankings were a couple of telling numbers: Rafael Nadal finished as world number 2 but played just 12 tournaments, and Novak Djokovic finished fifth with just 11 events played. This is as much as 11 less than his main rivals.

For the latter, it tells a fraction of the story of a traumatic year, in which the Serb was deported from Australia and excluded from the United States.

When it comes to winning percentage, Djokovic topped the rankings with 83.3 percent. Given his relentless appetite, and the likelihood of him having a victorious start to the year at the Australian Open, where he almost never loses, he’s the man to beat even at 35. No one would be surprised if the first three Slams go to Djokovic. Nadal-Djokovic.

The biggest challenge may come from US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz, who looks like a generational talent. But it’s not uncommon for a player to take the time to consolidate his first Grand Slam victory, and with a new kind of pressure, this could be a tougher season.

Women need to recover

This was a terrible year for women’s soccer. A season that ended with independent women’s events, the WTA Finals and the Billie Jean King Cup, played before crowds that were patchy at best, told the story of her current low point in the cycle.

There is a standout player, Iga Swiatek, but rivalries are few. Serena Williams and Ash Barty are gone, Simona Halep is suspended for doping, and Naomi Osaka looks like a reluctant tour entrant.

Next season will test the ability of tennis to regenerate, but all hope is not lost. The best that could happen is that a new wave of talent begins to take hold. Coco Gauff and Ons Jabeur would be welcome to continue their progress, and there remains exciting potential in Emma Raducanu, Leylah Fernandez and Zheng Qinwen.

Sometimes the WTA and its players seem blissfully unaware that women’s football, for example, is growing enormously and that they must act accordingly.

A potential rebound for Emma

Fairly or not, much of the attention and interest falls on Emma Raducanu with the constantly intriguing question of whether she can build on her stunning 2021 US Open triumph.

Widely unrealistic expectations, repeated injuries and the go-for-all policy he has opted for with trade deals have dissipated the surge of goodwill following his Flushing Meadows title.

Raducanu will be delighted to see the reverse of what was always going to be a difficult year, but in 2023 there may be fewer excuses.

There are reasons for optimism. He’s had a chance to better prepare his body for the tour, and a more stable setup seems to be forming around him. The signing of a highly-skilled coach in 30-year-old German Sebastian Sachs, who will hopefully outlast previous starters, is a step in the right direction.

Expectations have yet to be tempered and Raducanu has just turned 20. There won’t be a flurry of titles, but it’s fair to expect signs of steady progression. A return to the top 30 in the world should not be out of reach for him.

Wimbledon and politics

The All England Club will not look back fondly on 2022, which saw the flagship Grand Slam stripped of ranking points.

Not only that, its landmark expansion plans at neighboring Wimbledon Park remained mired in controversy and local opposition, with riots and top executive departures behind the scenes. A new president, the odds favoring businessman Kevin Havelock, has a lot to deal with.

The question of the ban on Russians and Belarusians is unresolved, with the tours in an uncompromising mood and the government reluctant to take the issue out of SW19’s hands.

Despite this, the Wimbledon brand remains one of the strongest in any sport, strong enough to withstand turbulence. I wish the club had helped itself by engaging more intelligently with an outside world that sometimes seems disconnected from.

the British

It’s to Jack Draper’s advantage that, thus far, he has ridden in the wake of the attention paid to Emma Raducanu.

That may change this year if he continues the progress that took him from 265 at the start of 2022 to 42. Staying injury-free will be key, but the prospects for him are exciting.

Great Britain have four men in the top 50 and it could become five if Kyle Edmund regains his fitness after so many knee problems. Cam Norrie and Dan Evans can look forward to stronger achievements and Andy Murray needs to rediscover the art of making big points.

Katie Boulter, Katie Swan, Jodie Burrage and veteran Heather Watson should look to join Raducanu and Harriet Dart in the women’s top 100.