Top seed Novak Djokovic was drawn Thursday against a qualifier or lucky loser to begin his bid for an 11th Australian Open crown, and could meet fellow Grand Slam champion Andy Murray in the third round.

Italian Jannik Sinner's climb towards the top of men's tennis could hardly be described as sluggish unless of course a direct comparison is made with Spanish phenomenon Carlos Alcaraz.

The 36-year-old from Serbia defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in last year's final for a record-extending 10th Melbourne crown then added the French and US Open titles to his collection in 2023.

Coco Gauff held her nerve to beat Elina Svitolina in a gruelling three-set final on Sunday to retain her Auckland Classic title in an ideal warm-up for the Australian Open.

Elena Rybakina will head to the Australian Open full of confidence after demolishing world number two Aryna Sabalenka in the Brisbane International final on Sunday.

The 22-times Grand Slam champion had arthroscopic surgery last June after injuring his left hip flexor during his second round defeat by Mackenzie McDonald at the Australian Open in early 2023.

The world number one holds no grudges heading into the mixed team event nearly two years after being refused entry to the country over his stance on Covid-19 vaccinations

The 37-year-old has not played since a second-round loss at the Australian Open this year, undergoing two rounds of hip surgery on the long road back.

The rise means the prize pot at the Melbourne Park Grand Slam has more than doubled over the last decade but the cash is now far more evenly distributed.

Showstopper Nick Kyrgios and former US Open champion Emma Raducanu were notable absentees Thursday from the 2024 Australian Open entry list, but Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka are set for their Grand Slam comebacks.

Wozniacki, 32, bowed out in 2020 after winning 30 WTA titles including her sole Grand Slam triumph at the Australian Open in 2018

World number one Iga Swiatek defeated Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets to win her second consecutive Stuttgart title on Sunday.

The Australian Open set a Grand Slam attendance record with more than 900,000 spectators visiting over three weeks, organisers said on Tuesday, despite the absence of some big-name players and schedule disruptions due to rain.

New Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic said on Monday he hopes to return to action in a month's time but is "not sure" how quickly his injured hamstring will heal.

Novak Djokovic, who won a record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam title on Sunday, is driven on through controversy by his determination to be the greatest ever.

Novak Djokovic's father was absent from his son's player's box for the Australian Open final Sunday following a controversy over images of him posing with a Russian flag featuring Vladimir Putin.

Facts and figures ahead of Sunday's Australian Open men's final (x denotes seeding):

Novak Djokovic has won all nine of his previous Australian Open finals so confidence is sky-high as he bids to equal Rafael Nadal's Grand Slam record and return to world number one.

An emotional Aryna Sabalenka battled back from a set down to beat Elena Rybakina and win the Australian Open on Saturday for her first Grand Slam title.

Australian Open chief Craig Tiley on Saturday advised Novak Djokovic's family to be "really careful" of people using the tournament's global exposure as a platform for "disruptive" purposes.