MATS WILANDER PREVIEWS THE 2023 AUSTRALIAN OPEN

What reaction do you think Novak Djokovic will get?
I think the reaction of the audience is going to be absolutely fantastic. I would think that in a country like Australia, where they suffered a lot because of COVID and where the government shut down the whole country for so many for such a long time, and in so many different situations, I am assuming that there are some Australians that most probably thought that last year when Novak wasn't allowed to play, I'm guessing they thought that was the right decision.

But those people most probably will not be going to the tennis. So, I think any person that's going to the tennis even if they were in lockdown during COVID, I think they are going to watch tennis and they are so excited to see Novak Djokovic back playing the tournament and being in Australia. I think it will be a huge and positive reaction of the crowd.

What are Djokovic’s chances and will he be motivated to reach world no.1 again?
I don't think that no that needs a motivation. Beating his opponent is enough motivation and I think that's why he's still winning, because he is so good and so good at concentrating on the situation. That's how you win. That's how you keep winning. That's how you win Adelaide, and then you win Australian Open and then you go and play another tournament in Tel Aviv...

And then that's how you win against every player, every day of the week in every city on every surface. You don’t need to give him another reason to become a 10-time Australian Open champion. That's unbelievable. I think there's a big difference in people's mind between 9 and 10 because once he's won 10, he can now start chasing Rafa's 14 at Roland-Garros.

On Rafael Nadal’s form:
His form is a huge handicap in the first few rounds. Because when you have lost six out of seven, and then you went around and then you start thinking, wow, I haven't won two matches in a row since the US Open, that is not good for your confidence. And it's great for the confidence of the rest of the players.

But if he starts winning the first few rounds and he's being tested, then I think that once you get to a quarterfinals it doesn't matter if you won six out of seven or because now you're talking about the 22 Grand Slam champion last year's defending champion.

In playing five sets, I think is a little easier for the older guys, physically harder, but mentally a little bit easier, less pressure for Rafa in the first one hour of the matches, because you can be a little more relaxed. And I think that's what he proves. And that's what the older player that's the advantage they have.

Nadal v Djokovic rivalry at this tournament:
If Rafa wins, that will be big as he then goes into his favourite tournament. If Djokovic win, they’re both on 22 and the race is back on, 100%. So, it's obviously very important for Novak to win this tournament, but it's most probably more important for me if Rafa wins because Rafa is not going to have that many chances in the next two, three years. And I think Novak has a chance in every Grand Slam every year for the next two or three years. I think Novak can win one more or he can win six or seven more, and I don't think Rafa can win six or seven more. I think he can win two, maybe three.

I think that the race is just open right now and that to me it's very important for the history of the sport.

Who else can challenge Djokovic?
I saw the match against Daniil Medvedev in Adelaide, I thought that Medvedev would be the worst opponent for him. But the way that things look right now, it doesn't look like Novak is going to get tired. He's not going to lose his patience.

Medvedev hasn't improved enough since the US Open in 2021. I don't think he’s a better player now than he was in 2021. He's the same and Tsitsipas is not better now than it was 2021 is the same. The only one that's better now than before would have been Carlos Alvarez and he is not playing.

Are you worried about Carlos Alcaraz’s injury?
We should be worried that somebody who is no.1 in the world, who's 19 years old, who won his first Grand Slam and then took all that time off to recover since the US Open and can’t get back. The fact that he hasn't been able to come back and fix his injury, that's worrying because it tells me that this injury is not easily taken care of.

And I don't know if it's a much more serious injury than we realise or if it is only bad luck? Or does it have anything to do with his body or the way that he moves on the court? That's what we don't know. But because it's taken so long and he had so much time to recover, I am starting to be worried that a 19 year old, that he's having the best year of his life, becomes injured after all that. That to me is a little bit worrying. It's sad that he’s pulled out and he’s injured at 19 years old and I don’t like it. That’s bad news.

On Nick Kyrgios:
I think there are two tournaments he cares about: the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Those two happen to be on surfaces where he is at his best. I think he will be really dangerous in these two tournaments and if he does really well in one, which he has, I think it will change his career completely. I would put Alcaraz and Kyrgios as the most entertaining players but that doesn’t mean that they are the best two.

On Holger Rune and the next generation:
Tennis is ready for the next generation, but we want Carlos Alcaraz, Holger Rune or Stefanos Tsitsipas to beat Rafa or Novak before they retire to become the best, I think that is very important. We don’t want to see the world no.1 retiring when they are the best in the world.

I think Holger Rune could be the next one because he has a confidence about him. He has a style that's extremely aggressive. He's extremely strong, physically, whether it's hitting hard, or whether it's moving. So, I think for me, it's him because his game is absolutely huge. When the ball is in play, his serve is not great. But nor is Carlos Alvarez. His serve is not great either. But somehow and the fact that Carlos won at 19, I think, explains to Holger Rune that ‘hey, I can win at 19 or 20’. Carlos just showed us last year that you can do that. I think all Holger Rune is the one that has the biggest chance of the 19, 20 or 21 year olds to me

On Iga Swiatek:
All the other players and me included, we now believe there's only one way you can be Iga. And the way to beat her is on a fast court. And you have to hit the ball really hard. And you have to take time away from Iga.
She has she has accomplished what most great champions wants to accomplish, which is, ‘hey guys, there's one way you can beat me and you have to hit the ball hard’. You have to play the best match of your life and that and then you have a chance so that's an amazing accomplishment on any surface. The problem with that becomes that every other player in the locker room, they also know that even if they don't like to do that, that is their only chance is to hit the ball hard. Take time away from Iga and it was very apparent against Jessica Pegula. That that is the only way you can play and if you do, you can beat Iga still on a faster court.

Swiatek’s biggest opponent being herself:
For many, many great champions, their biggest opponent was themselves. It becomes yourself so you have to self-believe. You have to understand that I am better than all these players and I am supposed to win in everybody's eyes.

She has to be OK with the rest of the world and not being surprised if she wins the Grand Slam. She still has to have that attitude that a lot of players but she has to realise that we're the rest of the world, we’re expecting her to win. And there's a pressure that comes with that. Iga is the big favourite, and her biggest opponent is believing that she is better at solving problems during a match. If she believes that, it will be very, very difficult to beat her. She adds a lot to the world of sport.

Mats Wilander is an expert for Warner Bros. Discovery Sport's coverage of the Australian Open in Europe. Coverage starts on discovery+, Eurosport and Eurosport App from Monday 16 January.