“Thank you, friend!”.

The wink of idioms of a police officer gives the welcome at the airport Tullamarine Melbourne, while Australia, in flames from the past month of September, sheds tears and fighting the fires barely. The environment is loaded in the city, beautiful and imposing, covered now by an air of melancholy which in the case of tennis, the Australian Open today starts and the nation always promotes with the chest swollen of pride, results in a relative suspense. The smoke comes and goes and days ago enveloped the skyscrapers and suspended days of practice; we feared the worst, perhaps delays, or who knows if a most drastic measure so as not to put at risk the health of the players, but the rains came, abundant, and so came the relief.

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Nadal and Federer, each one by your side 'With fire don't play', by T. NADAL

Presiding over the grey in full austral summer, but the water falls in the form of a blessing, the improvement of air quality and the editing that takes off and offers numerous arguments for staying up late. There are Serena Williams and her desire to catch definitely the 24th great Margaret Court, the nth test to young people, the insolent teenager of Coconut Gauff, and a good test to gauge if Daniil Medvedev is made of another pasta or not; no incentive, in any case, most of the media that the struggle between Rafael Nadal , Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic for being the greatest of all time. Dancing to three continues, though on this occasion the spaniard is facing for the first time to an ideal scenario: if you win the twenty-title, chase him to the swiss.

To do so, the Spanish would deliver the big blow of the state, more than all of them relativicen. The story goes down within. “It is obvious that Rafa and Novak are going to win more Grand Slams than me. They are incredibly good and it is normal to compete for more years than I do. After winning 15 [thus surpassing the record of american Pete Sampras], I already said that everything that came before would be a plus, so I'm still enjoying my sport”, he exposed the swiss a few days ago in Dubai, where he has carried out the pre-season. “My full happiness in the future does not depend on happen to Federer, not to win 20 or 25 large”, answered Nadal, in an interview with the ATP.

Clear balls one and the other, but not Djokovic. The Serbian has been said more than once that goes openly for the great treasure, and in Melbourne is the man to beat. You can spare the arguments. Has the world record of trophies in Australia (7) and a balance of 68 victories and only eight defeats, and it adds its hegemony on fast track; it showed the crowning of Serbia at the ATP Cup, where he surrendered to Nadal with sufficiency, although not as much as in the end australian of the year past. Nole paints a priori as the great puzzle for Manacor, which is played also with the balkan the number one that now looks and this Tuesday start against the bolivian Hugo Dellien (26 years old, 72 of the world).

The swiss, without any previous match

Melbourne Is a challenge superlative for him, and took the title in 2009 and since then was denied at the end of 2012 (to Djokovic), 2014 (Wawrinka), 2017 (Federer) and 2019 (Djokovic). In any case, no one to vaporize schemes and forecasts as Nadal, who at 33 years of age arrives in optimal conditions and with spirits renewed, alternating workouts with up to six opponents different: Sinner, Thiem, Wawrinka, Harris, Vega and Munar. “I'm fine physically, after playing many games in a row (8) in the ATP Cup. I spend several days training here and the sensations are positive,” says the mallorcan, who beat Nole in the list world at 515 points.

Federer debuted the morning, before Steve Johnson, and Djokovic (16 majors) will do this Monday (toward 11: 00, Eurosport) with Jan-Lennard Struff. The swiss, the Belgrade and Nadal are divided 51 of the 59 last, great, and they have chained 12 since the first win in Australia three years ago. “A lot of people thought that my career would be short due to the style of game that I had, but we are still here, struggling. I am very happy to be where I am and with my age”, remacha Nadal, in search of the 20 gold defends Federer, who, he says, assists “with low expectations” given that it has not played a single duel before.

Meanwhile, Nadal and Djokovic land as arrows. Both won in 2019 two great –Roland Garros and the US Open, and Australia and Wimbledon respectively– and the Serbian (32 years old) he has before him a superb opportunity to cut the gap and stoke the most of the historic race. While, the current king of the circuit does not apply the brake or rest days, and have between eyebrow and eyebrow lead it as soon as possible. Nadal has, in addition, another stimulating challenge in the immediate future: if he wins in Melbourne was to become the first player in the Open Era (since 1968) that adds two times his name in the winners of the four Grand Slams.

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Date Of Update: 20 January 2020, 08:00