Novak Djokovic will be the man to beat at the Australian Open 2023, the first Grand Slam of the season. The Happy Slam has many reasons for interest, and great anticipation winds among insiders, media and fans, for the first major event of the Game of the season that has just begun.
For the first time, there will be a Slam after Roger Federer and Serena Williams’ farewell. But there will be all the other stars of world tennis, such as Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek, while the Wolrd no.1 Carlos Alcaraz will be out.
Surprises and Upsets in the Australian Open history
Impossible to think of a defeat by Serena Williams in the final of 2016 against Angelique Kerber. Still, starting as an outsider, the German defeated her rival in three sets, with the final score 6-4 3-6 6-4.
In 1984 Martina Navratilova, number one of the WTA Ranking, seemed almost unbeatable. Arrived in the semifinals at the Australian Open, she lost outright against Helena Sukova for 6-1 4-6 5-7. It was a defeat that surprised the world.
In the final Sukova lost to Chris Evert in three sets. When Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated Rafael Nadal in the 2008 semifinal, it was one of the biggest upsets ever of the tournament history. This was one of the biggest surprises of the last decade.
Nadal’s defeat in the semifinals against the Frenchman was unexpected and incredible. Tsonga won for 6-2 6-3 6-2, sweeping away his opponent and getting his first and only Slam final. It is also difficult to think that Steffi Graf, winner of the last 6 Grand Slams in a row and with only one defeat in seven months, could lose that match.
The impossible happened in Melbourne, when Amanda Coetzer defeated the German for 6-2 7-5 in the fourth round of the tournament. Ramesh Krishnan against Mats Wilander in the 1989 second round, was probably one of the most dramatic upset of the Australian Open.
Wilander, world no. 1 and defending champion, lost in the second round against Ramesh Krishnan in three sets, with the score 3-6 2-6 6-7.
