Getting another shot At a glance

dominated like no other, resulting in nine of his 21 major trophies, including the past three times he played there.

Back in position to strive for elite status and to challenge his great rival Rafael Nadal for supremacy in the Grand Slam title chase. Sure, it is Nadal who is the defending champion and who owns a men’s-record 22 majors. It is Djokovic, though, who will draw the most attention. And it is Djokovic who will be viewed as the favorite — and would have been, even had he not started off his trip to Australia by winning a tuneup title at Adelaide.

The lead-up to this Australian Open has been filled with talk about who will not be there: Serena Williams and Roger Federer ended their playing careers in 2022, as did Ash Barty; No. 1-ranked Carlos Alcaraz and seven-time major champion Venus Williams are injured; former No. 1 and four-time Slam winner Naomi Osaka last played a completed match in August; another former top-ranked player, Simona Halep, is serving a provisional doping suspension.

Once play begins, the talk will squarely be about Djokovic, and most folks in the sport seem to agree he should be back in the field. Nadal, for one, called it “good for tennis.” “It’s nice to see cooler heads prevailing there, (after) politics got in the way,” former U.S. Davis Cup captain Mardy Fish said.

Frances Tiafoe, an American who reached the U.S. Open semifinals, said: “We want the biggest players playing in the biggest tournaments in the world, regardless of everything else. We’re trying to sell a product at the end of the day, and you want those big names at the big events.”

One measure of how much things have changed, even as the coronavirus remains a part of daily life around the world: For the first time since 2020, players at the Australian Open will not need to self-report if they test positive for COVID-19; tournament

Surface: Hard courts

Site: Melbourne Park

Seedings: Iga Swiatek is seeded No. 1 in the women’s bracket, her first time in that spot at the Australian Open, where she reached the semifinals a year ago. Defending champion Rafael Nadal is the No. 1 seed in the men’s draw, moving up a spot because top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the tournament with a leg injury. Novak Djokovic is seeded No. 4 as he makes his return to Melbourne.

2022 women’s singles champion: Ash Barty, Australia

2022 men’s singles champion: Rafael Nadal, Spain

Who’s missing: This is the first Grand Slam tournament since Serena Williams and Roger Federer — owners of a combined 43 major singles championships — announced last year they were ending their playing careers. Also now retired: Barty. Other key players who are not in the field include Alcaraz, Venus Williams (injured), Naomi Osaka (out of action since September) and Simona Halep (serving a provisional doping ban). Osaka announced Wednesday on social media that she is pregnant and will be taking the year off.

director Craig Tiley said they’re simply being encouraged to stay away if they are sick.

Djokovic’s legal saga created plenty of drama — and drew plenty public expression of opinions, whether from those pleased he wasn’t allowed into the country or those protesting the outcome — a year ago, but the response to his return has been rather muted so far, with little fuss or fanfare.

“Everybody was very welcoming” upon his arrival, Djokovic said, declaring more than once: “I don’t hold a grudge.”

GRAHAM DENHOLM/GETTY Novak Djokovic returns to the Australian Open after being unable to compete last year because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19.