Matters at one point had gotten so bleak for Stan Wawrinka, the three-time Grand Slam champion feared he might never play a professional match again, let alone compete in this year’s Australian Open. A tough knee injury that kept the 32-year-old out of competition after Wimbledon in 2017 forced him to undergo surgery in August, and since then it has been a battle toward recovery for the Swiss. 

And while his journey is nowhere near over, Wawrinka will pass a major hurdle this fortnight.

“I think the fact that I’m here and I’m going to play the first one [Grand Slam], it’s a big victory,” Wawrinka said. “It’s the best that I could have dreamed when I had the surgery, is to be here sitting in front of you and to say, ‘Okay, I’m going to play the first match’. That’s something really good from my side, especially from the knee. The knee is getting way better. I still have a lot of work to do physically and also tennis-wise to get to my top level… I need to start somewhere anyway.”

Wawrinka admitted that it has been anything but easy getting to this point.

“It’s been six months now and it’s been really tough, to get back to a place where I can play again,” Wawrinka said. “But now, I’m feeling better. I’m slowly getting there. It was a last-minute choice to come here [to Melbourne] for a week and just practise, without even knowing if I could play the event or not. But after a few months being at home, I realise this is the right choice, practising a lot and getting my knee better.”

For Wawrinka, the physical pain that came with the eight weeks he spent on crutches was right on par with the mental anguish he was forced to endure along with it.

“The thing is, it’s always complicated when you were at that (elite) level before, then you get injured, and then you have to deal with the psychological pain as well,” Wawrinka said. “It’s tough to explain because some people think ‘Oh, come on, you have this amazing life, why are you complaining, what’s not to feel great about’? The hardest part is, what should you tell people, and what should you keep to yourself?”

Just being able to lace up his sneakers at this year’s Australian Open is an accomplishment for Wawrinka. The World No. 9 has stayed in constant contact with his doctor since undergoing surgery to make sure he chooses the right time to return, and he feels ready to test himself in Melbourne.

“I think that here’s a good starting point, to get pushed, and to see how I react mentally, and how I’m going to feel when I’m playing these matches.

“There’s always a little risk, for sure, especially starting up again after six months away,” Wawrinka said. “You’re going to get more tight, you’re going to get nervous, you’re not going to feel as comfortable in a match as in practice. But my knee is holding up — that’s most important.”

As for planning beyond the Australian Open, Wawrinka is taking matters one step at a time — the first step in his comeback may prove most important, after all. It all begins in the first round against Ricardas Berankis. 

“My main goal is first to get to the level I want to be physically,” Wawrinka said. “I know I need a few weeks, maybe a month. I don’t know, I’ll see. That’s my first goal. Then I will decide what will be the next goal.”

For most players, five singles titles, two ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophies and a career-high ATP Ranking of No.3 — all by the age of 20 — would be tough to top. As Alexander Zverev proved over the course of 2017, he isn’t most players — and he also isn’t easily satisfied.

“I think improving on the Grand Slam performances is one thing [to work on],” Zverev said. “The furthest I got was to the fourth round of Wimbledon. A lot of times it wasn’t because I played badly, but because I played very good opponents; I lost to [Rafael] Nadal. I lost to Milos Raonic at Wimbledon. Both times in five sets. That’s nothing to worry about too much. But obviously that’s one goal for me this year.”

In May 2017, Zverev downed a tough slate of opponents — current World No. 11 Kevin Anderson and four players who were inside the Top 30 of the ATP Rankings, including Novak Djokovic in the final, to lift the Internazionali BNL d’Italia trophy and become the youngest winner of an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in 10 years (since Djokovic). Zverev continued his run of form by claiming another ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy three months later at the Rogers Cup in Montreal, where he defeated Roger Federer 6-3, 6-4 to hoist the title. To close the year on a high note, Zverev became the youngest qualifier at the Nitto ATP Finals since Juan Martin del Potro at the 2008 season finale.

While he has achieved plenty, the 6’6” German can still pick out his own shortcomings. And while the Grand Slam losses might not keep him up at night, that doesn’t mean Zverev hasn’t spent his waking hours calculating ways to improve. And if any feather is missing in his cap, it is a breakout performance at a major — Zverev has yet to advance to a quarter-final at a Grand Slam.

“I’m No.4 in the world for a reason,” Zverev said. “I’m not trying to sound cocky or anything, but I’ve always said that I’ve been working hard physically; I’m always trying to improve my performances at Grand Slams. Hopefully I can do so this week.”

Zverev feels that cardio has not played a factor in his early losses. The right-hander believes he can last five sets if pushed to the limit; his opponent’s skill levels had more to do with his losses at the Grand Slams than his fitness.

“For me, physically when I go five sets, I feel fine,” Zverev said. “As I said, I lost to Nadal on a grass court and [Raonic] on a hard court. So, it’s not a big thing to worry about for me. As I said, I had one bad match at a Grand Slam last year, at the US Open. Besides that, I don’t think it was that big of a deal.”

Zverev will have a chance to show why those losses were not “that big of a deal” at Melbourne Park, where he begins his campaign against Thomas Fabbiano.

The potential competition from all comers in Melbourne hardly bothers the German. But if he is to match or top his career-best performance at a major, advancing to or further than the Round of 16, he may need to take out his older brother, Mischa Zverev, in the third round to do it. How would he handle that moment?

“I think it would be a special moment for all [the family],” Zverev said. “I mean, two brothers playing at a Grand Slam against each other, you don’t see that very often. If it happens, of course I want to win and I think he will want to win as well. It will be a fun moment for the entire family.”

The awards are usually given to one man and one woman, but the ITWA’s 120 members voted overwhelmingly in favour of making the men’s award a joint presentation to Federer and Nadal in Melbourne. The winner of the women’s award will be announced next week.

The ITWA represents the world’s leading tennis journalists. Its awards recognise a combination of achievements on the court, conduct that shows tennis in the best possible light and co-operation with the media.

Both Nadalvand Federer have won Ambassador of the Year honours in the past as individuals, but this is the first time they have been given the award jointly.

The Spaniard and the Swiss each enjoyed a plethora of success in 2017, sharing the year’s four Grand Slam titles and ending the season as the No. 1 (Nadal) and No. 2 (Federer) players in the ATP Rankings.

Paul Newman, the ITWA’s co-President, said: “Besides their achievements in terms of trophies, both Roger and Rafa were once again great ambassadors for their sport in the way that they conducted themselves on and off the court.

“They both understand that a good relationship with the media helps everyone and we are always grateful for the time they give to their media commitments.”

The players were presented with their awards before play begins at the season’s first Grand Slam on Monday.

If there’s anything Grigor Dimitrov learned in 2017, it’s how to rebound from big losses. 

It was the semi-finals of the Australian Open, the season’s first Grand Slam. The opponent was Rafael Nadal, a marquee name on the ATP World Tour with more Grand Slam titles than he had fingers to count them. He won the event in 2009. He was a former World No.1 in the ATP Rankings. 

Dimitrov? He was ranked lower, had far less experience, and an unfavourable record in their FedEx ATP Head2Head. In a tight five-set, nearly five-hour decision that would end up being one of the best matches of the year, he lost the match.

But Dimitrov’s 2017 season would end up being his best yet. After sweeping through the field to claim the title at his home tournament in Sofia, the Bulgarian would end up claiming his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati, eventually punctuating an already stellar season with the trophy at the prestigious season-ending Nitto ATP Finals. 

All of that began with a loss.

“Right after I finished the match, I watched it the following day,” said Dimitrov of his epic Melbourne encounter with Nadal. “Almost the whole thing. I was so inadequate; I was just out. I was thinking, ‘how did I lose that match?’” 

But after giving himself time to reflect on the match, his perspective changed. “I saw on the break points, for example, I couldn’t have done anything else. I played the right shot, the right thing. But he came through with his game. That was it.

“I’ve learned so much from that match. There’s so many bittersweet memories from it, [it] kind of set up a great year for me. I think I really, really learned a lot from it. After I came back to Europe, played good indoors, had kind of a good start of the year.”

Dimitrov hopes that 2018 will be yet another season in which he can hit the milestones that he has long expected of himself, but insists that he doesn’t want to change too much in the season ahead. With tennis careers becoming more like marathons than sprints, the 26-year-old Bulgarian aims to stick to his guns.

“Obviously I’ve achieved certain things that I’ve always wanted to. I always wanted to be a top-five player. I did it. Obviously I wanted to win a Masters 1000 event, and I did it,” said this year’s third seed at the Australian Open. “So as a player, you like to set yourself goals. That also helps you get up in the morning and make sure you work towards that.

“But, again, I just don’t feel like I want to do anything different or change things up because that’s what I’ve been doing pretty much all my life,” he added. “That’s all the buildup that I have till now. That’s why the results are coming.”

Dimitrov kicks of his Australian Open against a qualifier, with Andrey Rublev, the No. 30 seed, looming in the third round. Dimitrov was upset by the #NextGenATP Russian at the US Open last season—and only time will tell if he learned from that match.

For Nick Kyrgios, the new ATP World Tour campaign means a fresh start, a chance to knuckle down and for fans to buckle up – just expect a tamer rollercoaster compared to previous seasons.

Kyrgios warns there will be peaks, minus the same intense levels of drama.

“I think, last year, there were periods where I was really good and really bad,” Kyrgios said. “But at the end of the day, I just need to know it’s a long year. I can’t expend too much energy on other things. I want to ride the highs, not as high as I usually do. If I lose a match, at the end of the day, it’s a tennis match. I want to keep it even-keeled throughout the whole year, rather than it being such a rollercoaster ride.”

If the early results are any indication, Kyrgios’ reworked mindset and renewed focus are already producing positive results. Kyrgios defeated Ryan Harrison 6-4, 6-2 in the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp final to clinch his first ATP World Tour title in his home country of Australia and his fourth tour-level trophy overall. The talented right-hander became just the second Australian to lift the trophy in the tournament’s 10-year history after former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, who accomplished the feat in 2014. 

Kyrgios showed heart and poise throughout the event, battling back from a set down in both the quarter-finals against Alexandr Dolgopolov and the semi-finals against 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov before defeating Harrison for the hardware.

For Kyrgios, familiarity might be one way to summon consistency. And he feels most at home on the No. 2 court at Melbourne Park compared to Rod Laver Arena. The facility’s centre court seats 14,820, 4,000 more than the more intimate Hisense Arena.

“Hisense [Arena] is my favorite court here (at the Australian Open),” Kyrgios said. “I’ve been hitting on Rod Laver [Arena] the last couple of days, just to get out there without the crowd watching. It’s been a bit [of a] different feel. But I definitely feel more confident on that court now.”

When asked why he feels more in his element on the No. 2 court, Kyrgios’ response was simple: past success in Hisense Arena brings back positive emotions and inspiration.

“I guess just the memories,” Kyrgios said. “I played a lot of matches and won a lot of matches on that court. Obviously that match in the fourth round against (Andreas) Seppi when I made it to the quarter-finals (in 2015)… ever since then, I’ve tried to make that memory happen again. I definitely feel comfortable in Hisense Arena.”

Whether in Hisense Arena, Rod Laver Arena or otherwise, one thing’s for sure — fans can expect a more composed Kyrgios, who is tempering his expectations heading into the Australian Open.

 “I’d like to do well. I’m not going to say quarter-finals, semi-finals, anything like that. I just want to take it one round at a time,” Kyrgios said. “Everyone started the year hungry. They can play great quality tennis. I don’t want to look ahead at all; I want to take care of business one round at a time.”

What a difference a year makes.

In 2017, Roger Federer entered the Australian Open as the 17th seed thanks to a six-month layoff due to injury. Even to the Swiss, a championship run seemed unlikely. But after winning seven matches — including four against players inside the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings — Federer had done the seemingly impossible, claiming his 18th Grand Slam title despite not competing since Wimbledon.

This time around, there will be no surprises. After a 19th major title at Wimbledon, three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 triumphs (Indian Wells, Miami, Shanghai) and seven overall trophies on the year, Federer is arguably the favourite as the ATP World Tour’s best get set to battle it out in Melbourne Park.

It does not hurt that Federer has built confidence from thriving under the utmost pressure in 2017, leading the ATP World Tour with a 13-3 (81.6 per cent) record in deciding sets. Only three players came within 10 per cent of Federer in the category — Novak Djokovic (80 per cent), David Goffin (78.6 per cent) and Stan Wawrinka (75 per cent).

There is even a slight chance that Federer could re-take the No. 1 ranking for the first time since 22 October 2012 — he’d have to retain the Australian Open title, with Nadal failing to advance to the quarter-finals. Will the 36-year-old continue his magical run of form to a 20th major trophy?

Here are three reasons why he may do just that:

1) Momentum, Momentum, Momentum

The statistics speak for themselves. Nobody won a higher ratio of matches in 2017 than Federer, who compiled a tremendous 52-5 (91. 2 per cent) record despite not playing in the six months prior to the campaign.

While three players — Rafael Nadal (67-11), David Goffin (59-24) and Alexander Zverev (55-22) — won more matches than him, they all lost significantly more, too. And additionally, Federer led the ATP World Tour with a 40-4 record on hard courts, which the Australian Open is contested on. The Swiss (90 per cent) was the only player to win more than 82 per cent of his matches on the surface.

Furthermore, Federer will take confidence knowing that he had success early in the season last year, winning 2017’s first three ‘Big Titles’ (Grand Slams and ATP World Tour Masters 1000s) in Melbourne, Indian Wells and Miami.

Now, it is important to keep in mind that Federer did skip the clay court season, so he played far fewer matches than his rivals. Would he have enjoyed as much success on the quicker surfaces throughout the year if he used time and energy to take on the red dirt? Federer still had enough in the tank for a strong close to the campaign.

While he suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of David Goffin in the semi-finals of the Nitto ATP Finals, the end of the season was still impressive for Federer, who triumphed at the Shanghai Rolex Masters and the Swiss Indoors Basel.

2) Favourable Early Draw

Sure, there are plenty of dangerous opponents lurking in Federer’s half of the draw. The 36-year-old could face seventh seed David Goffin or the red-hot Juan Martin del Potro in the quarter-finals. If Federer advances to the semi-finals, a daunting quartet of possible competitors awaits — fourth seed Alexander Zverev, fifth seed Dominic Thiem, 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka and six-time winner Novak Djokovic.

But, with that being said, Federer needs to win one match at a time. And his path to the quarter-finals is a favourable one. In fact, his combined record against all possible opponents through the Round of 16 is 48-5. He has lost against only two of the 15 players — No. 22 Milos Raonic (10-3 FedEx ATP Head2Head) and No. 29 Richard Gasquet (16-2 FedEx ATP Head2Head). The top seed he could face before the quarter-finals is No. 13 Sam Querrey, against whom he holds a 3-0 FedEx ATP Head2Head series lead, which includes an 8-0 advantage in sets. None of their sets have been closer than 6-4.

And, don’t forget, Federer did beat four Top 10 players en route to his title in Melbourne last year. This road just appears slightly simpler — the benefits of being World No. 2 rather than the 17th seed. View Draw

3) Turning Around A Lopsided Rivalry

In 2017, Federer punctuated his dream run in Melbourne with a stunning comeback against Rafael Nadal, winning the final five games of a five-set thriller to claim his first Grand Slam title since 2012 Wimbledon.

But before that encounter, Federer had lost five of his past six matches against Nadal, as well as their previous six Grand Slam battles. In 2017, however, the Swiss turned the tide and won all four meetings, narrowing their FedExATP Head2Head to 23-15 in favour of the Spaniard.

While Nadal still has an eight-match lead in their rivalry, it is tough to ignore the fact that Federer has won their past seven sets, with all of them coming on hard court.

“I just think I’m not so scarred like maybe I have been in the past, not that I was horribly scarred in any way, but I did lose against him sometimes, a lot of the times especially on the clay courts,” Federer said after beating Nadal for the title in Shanghai last October. “I think I have also played him well. Clearly avoiding him — not playing him on clay has helped. So I’m able to stay on the hard courts or on faster courts against him, but I have been playing very well when I have faced off against him.”

Both players need to win six matches to have a chance of facing off in their 10th Grand Slam final (Nadal leads 6-3), but that momentum shift in their rivalry may certainly play a role if they do meet again.

Federer’s Potential Path To The Australian Open Title

At 31 years old with 75 tour-level titles and 162 weeks atop the ATP Rankings, one would think there wouldn’t be any more firsts for Rafael Nadal.

Think again. 

The Spaniard arrives at the Australian Open this year with the hopes of going one step further than the dramatic five-set final he played against longtime rival Roger Federer last year, which catalysed a year of unexpected success for the both of them. He aims to become one of just three players after Roy Emerson and Rod Laver to win each of the Grand Slams twice, furthering his already remarkable legacy in the sport. But this year, things are a little different.

“It’s the first time I am here without playing [an] official match in my career. It’s is a new situation for me,” said Nadal, who didn’t play an event prior to the season’s first Grand Slam.

“We decided to start later because we needed some more practice, start slow, to be fresher, little bit more fresh mentally and physically, and do things the right way. That’s what we tried to do.”

Nadal’s exceptional 2017 season, in which he posted a 67-11 win-loss record and claimed six titles to reclaim the No.1 ranking, ended with a Nitto ATP Finals defeat to an inspired David Goffin at the round-robin stage. Although 2018 is the first year he hasn’t played before arriving in Melbourne, Nadal took the opportunity to set up a high-intensity practice match on Margaret Court Arena with Dominic Thiem.

“We decided to play another match. Talking with the Australian Open, yeah, they give us the chance to play like an open practice but closer to the match for the crowd,” said the Spaniard.

“I have a good relationship with Dominic. I spoke to him about that. He was very happy to make that happen, too. We did it. It was a good practice, good feelings for both of us I think. The job was done the right way.” 

Another first for Nadal, who is seeded first at this year’s event, is that he arrives Down Under without his uncle Toni Nadal as his official coach.

“It’s my first tournament that he is not my official coach. But I played plenty of tournaments in my career without Toni,” said Nadal.

“[It] is a change in my career, but let’s wait a little bit… [to see] if I feel strange in a few months, but now is just the beginning,” he added. “I feel happy with my team. Toni gave me a lot during all my career, as I said thousands of times. I don’t think it’s necessary to repeat again and again. Without Toni, I probably won’t be here today. That’s the real thing. I can’t thank him enough for everything. 

“I’m happy with the way that I am working with Carlos [Moya], with Francis [Roig], with the rest of my team. Let’s keep working hard to try to have a good year.”