Serena Williams shares good luck hug with Ashlee Tulloch

Her form and fitness in question, top seed and defending champion Serena Williams didn’t get served any favors by the Australian Open draw, revealed Friday.

The Serb, also 28, holds three of the four Grand Slam titles, having won Wimbledon and the US Open in addition to the Australian Open. I’m feeling really good and I’m excited about it. They feel they’ve been around for too long a time and they’re mentally exhausted of waking up every morning, practicing every day, traveling around the world, but she’s not.

Few people can argue with Novak Djokovic’s opening remarks at the Australian Open draw on Friday – “everybody loves Melbourne” the world No. 1 said with a big smile on his face as he posed with the Norman Brookes trophy alongside the tournament’s other defending champion Serena Williams. Both men, old friends from their time on the junior circuit, have taken time out from their pre-Australian Open schedules this week to speak about their desire to top the podium at the Rio 2016 Games.

Victory at Flushing Meadows would have moved her into a tie with Graf on 22 grand slam titles, the most in the Open era, and two behind the all-time leader, Australia’s Margaret Court.

Now at 34 years of age, no one but Williams herself can be sure that she will be fit enough, or injury-free enough to go around again in 2017 should she still require one Grand Slam win to take the mantle as the greatest ever.

World number two Simona Halep (achilles), Garbine Muguruza (foot), Agnieszka Radwanska (leg) and Maria Sharapova (forearm) have all been battling niggling problems that forced them out of warm-up tournaments.

The site of some of Nadal’s most painful losses, could the Australian Open – which he won in 2009 – this year truly mark his revival?

“Playing in the semifinals for the first time at a Slam – and she played Serena, the No. 1, a fantastic player – she played good”, he said. She was not exhausted, but I think nervous about the Grand Slam, about the results, and everything.

The Australian Open, for many players, means a promise of a new season, and the opportunity to receive glory and success, since the time it was called the Australian Championship, and was played on grass. The two would not meet until the final.

“To me, more than anything, it’s just absolutely full credit to Djokovic who won his first major in 2008, doesn’t win his next one till 2011”, says Gilbert.

Azarenka started 2016 impeccably, cruising to the title at a warmup in Brisbane by dropping a mere 17 games in five matches.

The world No. 1 has been troubled by a knee injury that saw her withdraw from the Hopman Cup earlier this month – but Williams was all smiles when asked about her preparation for the grand slam, which starts next week. “Even Rafa playing that final in Doha, it was fantastic tennis to watch, but so comfortable, and on the score it just shows how much Novak is dominating the sport”.