Australian Open

Playing in his first match for nearly six months, Djokovic beat Dominic Theim. He afterwards insisted his troublesome elbow problems are behind him.

World number one Rafael Nadal has reflected on last year's Australian Open final loss to Roger Federer and how he handled it.

Rafael Nadal will start his 2018 campaign with 16 Slams, three shy of his arch-nemesis Roger Federer, who has started the year in great form.

Stan Wawrinka and Rafael Nadal have given the Australian Open a major boost following the withdrawals of Serena Williams, Andy Murray and Kei Nishikori.

Former world number one Andy Murray has undergone surgery to address a long-standing hip injury and hopes to return in time for the grass-court season.

Djokovic has been recovering from an elbow injury that saw him miss the better part of 2017 and rendered him a doubt for 2018.

According to Pat Cash, Andy Murray is experiencing problems in both hips rather than just his right hip. The former world number one may now require a double hip surgery.

Roger Federer skipped the entire clay scene in 2017 after winning the Australian Open and reaped the dividends as he went on to win his eighth Wimbledon title.

19-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer is ready to defend his Australian Open title following his first triumph of 2018 at the Hopman Cup in Perth.

In the current year, Nadal has designs of replicating his 2017 form that saw him win six titles, including two Grand Slams – the French and the US Open.

Federer was watched by 13,943 fans as he beat Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 at the Perth Arena, the highest ever attendance at the Hopman Cup.

Rafael Nadal pulled out of the Brisbane International with a knee problem while Novak Djokovic named himself out of the Qatar Open with a setback on his elbow.

Novak Djokovic has not played competitive tennis since his loss in the 2017 Wimbledon quarter-finals and was expected to return to action at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.

Djokovic is making a similar comeback from injury like Federer did at the start of the 2017 season. The Serb ended his 2017 season after his loss at Wimbledon in July.

Both Nadal and Federer had a brilliant 2017 campaign, matching each other with two Grand Slams a piece.

Roger Federer has arrived in Australia to participate in the Hopman Cup and resume his preparation ahead of his Australian Open defence which begins next month.

Djokovic has not played since his quarter-final loss at the 2017 Wimbledon. He later took a break to recover from an elbow injury.

Nadal is likely to be back in action for the Australian Open as he recovers from a setback on his knee, which kept him out of the ATP World Tour Finals.

Nadal won two Grand Slams in 2017 to take his tally to 16 but was matched by the Federer to extend the gap to three.

Tim Henman had a word of warning for Roger Federer, stating that he expects Rafael Nadal to overthrow his total of 19 titles.

Hopman Cup director Paul Kilderry has heaped praise on Roger Federer's remarkable 2017 season as the world number two gets ready to kick off his season in Perth.

Federer suffered a knee injury a day after his 2016 Australian Open semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic which resulted in him requiring surgery.

With all the preparation behind him, Raonic expects Djokovic to make a blast in the Australian Open, trumping the likes of Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Murray was previously confirmed to take part in Melbourne for the 2018 Australian Open, which begins on 15 January.

Doubts are starting to emerge over Andy Murray's participation at the 2018 Australian Open as the former world number one is still training in the UK.

Wawrinka last featured at Wimbledon in July when he was sent packing in the first round after his shock loss to Daniil Medvedev.

Toni Nadal has warned Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer that they will not be able to emulate their achievements of 2017 next year as Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are set to return to action.

Tennis legend Boris Becker has backed Andre Agassi to succeed as Novak Djokovic's coach as the Serbian prepares to make his comeback ahead of the 2018 season.

The Swiss ace clinched the title this year, beating Nadal in the finals, overpowering the Spaniard in a gruelling contest.

World number two Roger Federer does not expect to repeat his 2017 performances in the new year as he anticipates the return of Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and more from injury.