World No 1 Novak Djokovic is aiming to extend his Australian Open reign

Novak Djokovic is in the midst of a training camp in Belgrade ahead of the world No 1’s bid to claim a remarkable ninth Australian Open title in Melbourne in February.

Eight-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic is preparing for defend his crown in Melbourne in February. Picture: Getty Images

Novak Djokovic is in the midst of a training camp in Belgrade ahead of the world No 1’s bid to claim a remarkable ninth Australian Open title in Melbourne in February.

The defending Australian Open champion is attempting to land a hat-trick in Melbourne for the second time in his career and is practising with some of Serbia’s top players, as well as other international peers, at his academy leading into Christmas.

The “King of Melbourne Park” has won 75 of his 83 Australian Open matches and is rated an overwhelming favourite for the delayed 2021 event at $2.40 with the TAB.

While Roger Federer is in doubt as he recovers from a knee injury, fellow 20-time major winner Rafael Nadal is a confirmed starter in Melbourne as he seeks to add to the Australian Open crown he claimed in 2009.

Although the start for the Australian Open has been delayed by three weeks, Melbourne is set to host an extraordinary amount of tennis in February, with details as to how the tennis calendar will look in the first quarter of 2021 becoming clearer.

Djokovic, who joined Pete Sampras as the joint leader in terms of season-ending finishes at the top of the rankings, is expected to be in the thick of the action.

The 33-year-old led Serbia to a stirring triumph in the inaugural ATP Cup in January when he won all six matches, including a win over Nadal in the final in Sydney.

An abridged version of the ATP Cup is expected to be among the events held in Melbourne in the week before the Australian Open. The lucrative teams tournament was played across three cities in January and considered a success, despite a dip in attendances in Perth where it replaced the popular Hopman Cup.

Djokovic, who has been joined by ATP Cup-winning teammate Viktor Troicki at the training camp, will have an opportunity to lead Serbia’s defence of the team’s event.

The 17-time major champion can then turn his attention to winning another Australian Open after edging subsequent US Open champion Dominic Thiem in a high-class final in January.

Tour players training alongside Djokovic at his academy include the 57th ranked Laslo Djere, Damir Dzumhur, Malek Jaziri and Canadian Vasek Pospisil, tennismajors.com reported.

As Australia’s leading stars continue their preparations around the country and in Europe, many players are training in Dubai.

Young Canadian star Felix Auger-Aliassime has travelled to Spain to prepare at Nada’s academy in Mallorca.

Both tours are set to be based in the United Arab Emirates for the opening fortnight of the year, with Australian Open qualifying to be held there given the extraordinary circumstances caused by the pandemic.

Negotiations between the Victorian government and Tennis Australia to finalise quarantine restrictions and other protocols for the delayed summer of tennis, including crowd sizes, are continuing.

The contract for Melbourne Park to host the Australian Open will be extended beyond the current expiry date of 2036 by three years.

The 2021 schedule is set to be intensive and poses challenges for organisers.

The WTA Tour has slated two 500 level events — the second strongest tier of regular tour events — for Melbourne in the week prior to the Australian Open.

The ATP Cup and separate men’s tournaments will also be held during the same week, with Djokovic among those to state it is vital to hold a lead-in event.

“You will be able to have at least a tournament or two prior to the Australian Open, which for (the) majority of players is important,” Djokovic said in London last month.

The WTA Tour is also planning to hold a tournament in Melbourne in the second week of the Australian Open for competitors who fall early in the major.

Along with Melbourne Park, Tennis Australia also uses Kooyong and Albert Park as training centres during the Australian Open.

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