South Korean teenager Hyeon Chung was voted by his ATP World Tour peers as last year’s most improved player. On Monday at the Australian Open, we may just find out why.

Chung, who took up tennis as a young child for the purpose of improving his eyesight, will take on World No. 1 and hot Australian Open favourite Novak Djokovic on Rod Laver Arena. It will be Chung’s first meeting against the 10-time Grand Slam champion and his main draw debut at the year’s first major.

Despite the grand stage, don’t expect Chung to show too many nerves. After all, this is a guy who played – and won – the doubles final at the Asian Games in 2014 when the prize awaiting the champions was an exemption from South Korea’s compulsory two-year military service.

“At the beginning of the Games I didn’t think too much about it, but as I started getting closer to the final I started to get a little nervous as I knew I would get the exemption,” Chung told ATPWorldTour.com in Brisbane earlier this month.

Instead of a two-year military commitment, which would have severely impacted his tennis career, by winning gold Chung needed only to complete a four-week training camp during last year’s off-season. Although he enjoyed the experience, he’s the first to admit that he’s better suited to serving a tennis ball than serving as a sniper.

“I could barely see the target when I was shooting; I thought I’ll never be given an opportunity to shoot again. But it was a great experience as you get to know different people from different regions and different backgrounds. I made some new friends; understandably some people were a little jealous because after four weeks training I was getting out but it was just the start of their service.”

Had it not been for his eyesight, Chung may never have picked up a tennis racquet. It was his childhood doctor who recommended that he begin playing at age six as a means to improve his vision.

“Rather than just reading small letters, the doctor said it was better to go out on the tennis court and track the ball. That’s why I started. I’ve never considered wearing glasses on the court a disadvantage, because I’ve always worn glasses, even before I began to play tennis. It’s never been an issue for me.”

Last year, at No. 169 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, Chung lost in the final round of qualifying at Melbourne Park and he did not play a tour-level match until the Miami Open in late March, when he received a wild card. Chung began 2015 playing six tournaments at the ATP Challenger and ITF Futures level; he ended it with seven ATP World Tour-level appearances (five in the main draw) and the last of his four Challenger titles of the year.

This year he is firmly in the main draw of the Australian Open at a career-high No. 51 in the Emirates ATP Rankings and comes into the tournament having pushed 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic to 7-5, 7-6(3) in the second round of the Brisbane International, following an impressive first-round win over big-serving Aussie Sam Groth.

At his last Grand Slam outing, Chung pushed Stan Wawrinka to three tie-breaks in the second round of the US Open.

“Stepping up from the Challengers to tour-level last year was a great experience, finding out that I am competitive with the best players in the world. It gave me some confidence and made me realise there is an opportunity if I keep working.

“Seeing my ranking improve so much did come as a bit of a surprise because at the beginning of the season I didn’t set a specific rankings goal. I had some good opportunities, like the wild card in Miami and qualifying into some other ATP World Tour tournaments, and they were great experiences. Now my goal is to just keep jumping up the rankings.”

Chung’s match with Djokovic is scheduled for third match on Rod Laver Arena.

Andy Murray was voted Ambassador of the Year by the International Tennis Writers Association. It is the second time the World No. 2 has won the honour, having previously claimed ITWA’s top award in 2012. The 120 members selected Murray for the award in recognition of the Scot’s on-court achievements, exemplary conduct and cooperation with the media.

Murray finished the 2015 season No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time and led Great Britain to its first Davis Cup title since 1936, going 8-0 in singles rubbers throughout the year and partnering brother Jamie Murray to three doubles rubber wins.

Paul Newman, co-president of ITWA, said: “[Andy] Murray has become one of the most eloquent players in the men’s game. We appreciate the respect that he gives to all his questioners, knowing that there are huge demands on his time.”

Garbine Muguruza was named Ambassador of the Year on the WTA Tour. Both players were presented with their awards ahead of the start of the Australian Open on Monday.

In 2015, the ATP’s next generation of stars made their move, with a slew of players aged 20 & younger cementing themselves in the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings.

There was one riddle, however, that they struggled to solve: World No. 2 Andy Murray. The Scot prevailed in five of six encounters against the 20-under field last year, notching a trio of wins over Nick Kyrgios and beating teenagers Borna Coric and Thanasi Kokkinakis. With another teen, Alexander Zverev, standing in his path in the first round of the Australian Open, Murray is aware of the challenge in front of him.

“It will be a tough match,” Murray said at Melbourne Park on Saturday. “I know him reasonably well. I practised with him for the first time a couple years ago. I’ve seen him play a few matches since then. Obviously getting to play him a couple of weeks ago [at the Hopman Cup] was good. I also practised with him a couple of times during the week in Perth.

“He’s a big guy obviously for his age. Of the young guys coming through, by far the tallest of them, which has obvious benefits. At the age he’s at just now can cause a few issues, as well, until you kind of fill out into your physique. But he’s got a very good game. He serves well. For a big guy, moves pretty well too. He’s obviously improving all the time. He finished last year well.”

A four-time finalist at the first Grand Slam of the year, Murray finished runner-up to Roger Federer in 2010 and to Novak Djokovic in 2011, ’13 and ’15. Sitting one match win shy of No. 40 in 10 trips to Melbourne Park, the 28 year old is eyeing another deep run, but says family comes first. He and his wife Kim are expecting their first child.

“Most days I think about that. Just now it’s a big change coming. It’s very, very exciting. I’m sure everyone that’s had their first child would have thought the same thing with just a few weeks to go. Again, I’ve never been in this position, so it’s something new for me to deal with and handle, which is good. New experiences are always good and something to learn from.”

Murray admits that his off-season training was different than usual, following an extended 2015 campaign that included the Davis Cup Final. Despite not training in his usual base in Miami, the World No. 2 is ready to go.

“It has been different, that’s for sure. I’ve never finished the season this late. So I had to make some changes to what I did in December. I didn’t go over to Miami, which is the first time in a long time. I went over to Dubai and then came over here earlier than I had ever done before. So I made some changes. I feel prepared, but it’s just been different preparation than what I’m used to.”

Seeded second, Murray will open his Australian Open bid on Tuesday. A potential second round meeting against Adrian Mannarino or Sam Groth is in the cards, with David Ferrer and John Isner the other Top 10 seeds in his quarter of the draw.

The last time Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco met at the Australian Open, in 2009, the two Spanish lefties left it all on the court. The underdog Verdasco struck 95 winners, but Nadal battled for five hours and 14 minutes before securing an epic 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(2), 6-7(1), 6-4 semi-final victory. Less than 48 hours later, Nadal would defeat Roger Federer for his lone Australian Open title to date.

“Obviously that match gave me the chance to win the only Australian Open that I have won,” Nadal said. “It was an unforgettable memory for me. I think the level of tennis was fantastic. There were some spectacular points. Many people always ask me about that match. It was a tough one, but a great experience.”

If Nadal hopes to double his Aussie Open title haul in 2016, he would be best served to conserve his energy this time around. The 29 year old is set to face Verdasco for the 17^th time overall in the first round.

“It will be a very tough first round,” noted Nadal, who respects the Madrid native’s power game despite leading 14-2 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry. “It’s not a lucky first round for me, but not for him either. It’ll be a tough match. I need to be ready to play very good tennis if I want to go through.”

The Mallorcan has good reasons to be alert. He has lost five of his last six hard court matches played against lefties, dating back to 2014. Verdasco stopped him 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 in Miami last spring in a slugfest lasting over two hours, while Feliciano Lopez, Michael Berrer and Martin Klizan have also beaten him in that span.

“I have played a lot against lefties, so we’ll see,” noted Nadal, who has carved out an excellent 76-12 record against southpaws at tour-level events. “Here it’s not about playing against a lefty, it’s more about playing against a player who has a huge potential, and is able to reach a great level of tennis. If you are not playing your best, it’s very, very dangerous match.”

As a new chapter is written at the Australian Open, all eyes will be on the proud nation’s native son Lleyton Hewitt when the tournament commences on Monday. With the former World No. 1 taking his final bow, big shoes remain to be filled as the Aussie standard bearer. One of Hewitt’s young pupils, Nick Kyrgios, is eager to assume that mantle.

Last year, the 20-year-old Canberra native became the first Australian man to reach the quarter-finals in a decade, since Hewitt himself did it in 2005. Kyrgios is hoping history repeats itself.

“It’s such a sad time, because one of the greatest competitors of all time is leaving our sport,” Kyrgios told the assembled media at Melbourne Park on Saturday.

“Last year I had a really good run. I just remember it being a roller-coaster couple of weeks. When I lost against Andy [Murray], it almost felt like I was exhausted – mentally and physically drained. Coming back this year, I feel like I’ve grown and physically made a lot of improvements. I feel as if I’m ready for whatever comes.

“I feel as if I’m more relaxed this year. I’ve got a lot more confidence in my game. I feel a lot more comfortable playing in front of the crowd this year. I’m definitely playing a lot better.”

As the spotlight shifts from Hewitt to the crop of young guns, Kyrgios is well aware of the expectations that await him, but the World No. 30 is ready to embrace his new role.

“There’s definitely a little bit more expectation. The crowd expects any Aussie to play their best tennis here. That’s fair enough. I think every Aussie should step up here and try their absolute hardest to bring the best out of themselves.”

Kyrgios opens his campaign against another young gun, Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta. The World No. 67 is bidding to claim his first match win in his third trip to the Australian Open. “I played him last year in Portugal,” Kyrgios reflected on his semi-final clash in Estoril. “I won in a tight three-set battle. He’s more than capable of producing some really good tennis. He’s had a couple really good wins in Kooyong.

“I know he’s going to come out there and compete for every point. He’s a great competitor. I know what kind of style of tennis I need to play to win. It’s going to be a very exciting match.”

No. 29 seed Kyrgios and Carreno Busta will battle on Monday, with the match slated for not before 7:00pm on Hisense Arena. The winner will face either Yoshihito Nishioka or Pablo Cuevas in the second round, with sixth seed Tomas Berdych potentially looming large in the third round.

Kei Nishikori has plenty of reasons to love Melbourne. The top Japanese man has made the second week of the tournament every year since 2012 and advanced to the quarter-finals last year (l. to Wawrinka). Despite being thousands of miles from his hometown, the World No. 7 has drawn confidence from the sight of familiar faces in the crowd.

“I feel like I have a lot of support [in Melbourne],” Nishikori, who is 16-6 in the year’s first major tournament, said. “I feel like lots of Asians and even Japanese come to watch. So I feel very comfortable playing here. I hope I can win this tournament sometime.”

Nishikori’s ability to hit the ground running on the sun-baked hard courts of Melbourne could be an inborn quality, but it may also be attributed to the difficult route he took as a teenager. At age 14, Nishikori left the quiet, picturesque town of Shimane to train year-round at the IMG Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

“I think it’s important to come to the U.S. when I was younger,” Nishikori noted. “When you are young, you pick things up really fast. I got used to staying outside of Japan. It’s really important to learn English and to have good communication with everybody. I think it’s very important.

“It was really tough, especially the first couple of years,” Nishikori added. “I couldn’t communicate with anybody, even on the court. They were doing some drills and I couldn’t understand anything. I had some tough times. But after two, three years I got little bit more confidence to speak English. The culture is really different between Japan and the U.S.”

Nishikori made short work of that cultural hurdle, winning his first ATP World Tour title in Delray Beach in 2008. Overall, he has claimed 10 titles in four different countries (USA, Japan, Spain and Malaysia).

The World No. 7’s next challenge will be facing German Philipp Kohlschreiber in the first round of the Australian Open. Kohlschreiber, No. 34 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, narrowly missed out on being one of the tournament’s 32 seeds.

“It’s not going to be an easy first match,” Nishikori, who has never faced Kohlschreiber at tour-level, said. “He’s been playing a lot and he has a lot of experience. I’m not sure why he’s not seeded. I’ve been playing well, but it’s going to be an exciting first match.”

Twenty years ago, Lleyton Hewitt was about to make his name as the youngest ever qualifier in Australian Open history, aged 15 years and 11 months. Two Grand Slam titles and 80 weeks at World No. 1 later, he is now just 48 hours away from embarking on his final Melbourne campaign and a fond farewell to professional tennis, before stepping into the role of Davis Cup captaincy.

“To tell you the truth, I don’t know how it feels,” admitted Hewitt to the assembled media at Melbourne Park on Saturday. “It’s a tad strange feeling, but I’m trying to soak it up as much as possible.

“I guess it’s different in the fact that if you do go out then, yes, it is the end. But you’ve got to try to block that out as much as possible. You could go through all the same emotions again two days later, as well. That’s going to be the tough part to deal with.

“I’ve tried to enjoy it as much as possible. A couple days out from a slam, you’re always a bit on edge, a bit nervous. I think that’s the same for every player. Doesn’t matter how many times you’ve done it, if it’s your first or possibly your last slam.”

As fate would have it, for just the second time in his 20 successive appearances at the Australian Open, Hewitt will face a fellow Aussie. The one other occasion came in the 2003 second round against Todd Larkham. Larkham got just two games. World No. 134 James Duckworth will be Hewitt’s opponent on Tuesday as he graces Rod Laver Arena for possibly the last time.

The 23-year-old Duckworth is someone Hewitt has mentored closely of late. Will all that advice come back to bite him? “We’ll see how good a student he is!” said the Adelaide native. “These guys, I speak to them all the time. Ducks was text messaging me yesterday morning before the draw was out.

“So, obviously I think both of us will look back on it. No matter what happens, it will be a satisfying enjoyment of going out there and playing against him. It’s his only opportunity to play against me obviously on a big court as well. I think later on in our careers, his career, mine once I’ve retired, it’s something that we’ll enjoy.

“It was always bound to happen, wasn’t it? Especially now that I’ve got a second hat on, a full-time job as Davis Cup captain. It’s awkward, but in another way it’s fun to go out there with Ducks. I’ve been helping him the past few years. He’s been part of the Davis Cup squad on a number of occasions. He’s a great kid. I think he’s going to push on the next couple years and get a lot better.”

Melbourne Park is a vault of memories for Hewitt, some momentous – his 2005 semi-final win over Andy Roddick – and others that he may sooner forget. His extensive injury catalogue has never forced him to miss a trip to the Australian Open. Indeed, every spell on the sidelines only served as further motivation to extend his career and keep savouring the challenge of the ATP World Tour. As they say, you’re a long time retired.

“When you’re away from the game and you miss the hard training, doing all the preparation, it all depended on how motivated you were. If I wasn’t motivated to still go on and push myself, go on and do gym sessions by myself, hop on the practice court, I still wouldn’t be playing.

“That’s what’s pushed me the past few years. I don’t struggle for self-motivation, to get up early and do the hard work that no one sees. There’s no crowds or cameras around there. It’s just you in the gym or on the practice court. That’s one of the things I will miss, not having to go out there and push yourself day in and day out.”

One thing is for certain, whenever the final bow comes for Hewitt, he will have left everything on the court.

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