Spotlight
Perth: As the new tennis season gets under way this weekend, several top players are in flux with questions over their form and fitness. A look at the varying fortunes of seven big names.
SERENA WILLIAMS The American great is attempting one of the great comebacks in sport as she returns to the court just four months after becoming a mother. Williams, who welcomed her first child, Alexis Olympia, in September, will play an exhibition match in Abu Dhabi on Saturday against French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.
Williams, who hasn’t played since she won the Australian Open 11 months ago — while pregnant — is expected to defend her title in Melbourne next month. Williams, 36, has won an Open- era record of 23 Grand Slam singles titles, and now stands to equal Margaret Court’s all- time mark of 24.
She will take heart from the example of Belgium’s Kim Clijsters, who retired for two years and started a family before winning the 2009 US Open, in what was dubbed the ‘ mother of all comebacks’.
MARIA SHARAPOVA Russia’s Sharapova will look for a strong start to her season at the Shenzhen Open after a mixed return to the circuit in April following a 15month drugs ban.
The five- time major- winner, one of the highest earners in women’s sport, suffered a string of early defeats before she broke through to win the Tianjin Open in October — her first title since 2015. Next month, Sharapova will play her first Australian Open since 2016 after improving her ranking to 59th.
Her best Grand Slam performance of 2017 was reaching the last 16 at the US Open.
RAFAEL NADAL Defying all expectations, Nadal brilliantly revived his glory days in 2017, winning his 10th French Open and third US Open title, and finishing the season as no. 1. But familiar injury doubts have made for an uncertain start to the new campaign as Nadal, 31, pulled out of the Brisbane International saying he was “not ready”.
Reports have cast doubt over Nadal’s recovery from a right knee injury after he earlier withdrew from an exhibition appearance in Abu Dhabi. However, Nadal says he’ll play the Oz Open and he has made a habit of overcoming fitness problems throughout his long career.
ROGER FEDERER The 36- year- old also rolled back the years in 2017 and is showing no signs of slowing down as he builds towards his Australian Open title defence.
Federer says he’s fit and ready after a “great” offseason as he returns to action at the Hopman Cup