10 players to watch at the Australian Open

Here, we pick out 10 players to watch at Melbourne Park.

Novak Djokovik, Iga Swiatek and Rafael Nadal are three of the title favourites (Kelly Barnes/AP, John Walton/PA, Mark Baker/AP)

Rafael Nadal defends his Australian Open title and Novak Djokovic returns while Iga Swiatek heads the women’s field in Melbourne.

The absence of Carlos Alcaraz is a blow for the tournament as well as the next generation’s hopes of gaining more ground in the men’s game, and home star Ashleigh Barty will also be missed after retiring following her 2022 triumph.