According to former player
Justine Henin,
Novak Djokovic is the overwhelming favourite to win the
Australian Open due to his hunger to do so.
He's not the only one that wants to win the event desperately but Henin feels like the situation last year added another dimension to his desire to win the 10th event. It would be historic and iconic at the same time if he pulls it off and according to the former number one, he's the favourite to do so:
"Novak Djokovic is hungry! He is, in my opinion, just as in many other Grand Slams, the overwhelming favourite. In recent years, we have seen that the hunger he has rarely any players have ever had. But this time there is a desire to take revenge because I think that the last 18 months have been very rough on him for different reasons."
She continued:
"There was the quest for the Calendar Slam, in which he fell at the last step in 2021. Then there was the Australian Open mess and the decision not to get vaccinated, which meant he had to isolate himself from the tour. That was a personal choice, obviously, that we can only respect. He made strong choices and he accepted the consequences they had on him. When he could be present, he was very, very good and very strong."
And concluded:
"In 2023, he is in perfect physical shape, and he arrives with the desire to prove things. So yes, he is the big favourite. A lot of things can happen, but clearly, in my opinion, it will be Djokovic versus the others. Djokovic will be the immense favourite."