Rafael Nadal has history in his sights, but Novak Djokovic stands in his way at an Australian Open he has almost made his own.
With Roger Federer absent from the year's first grand slam, all eyes in the men's draw will be on Nadal and Djokovic.
As the fight between the 'Big Three' continues as to who will finish their career with the most majors, Melbourne shapes as again playing a key part, particularly amid the ongoing uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic. After winning his 13th French Open last year, the equation is simple for Nadal. His success at Roland Garros drew him level with Federer on 20 majors, the most by a man all-time.
But with the GOAT debate sure to continue for decades to come, a second title in Melbourne would also lift the Spaniard into uncharted territory. Nadal has the chance to become the first man in the Open Era to win every grand slam at least twice. Federer and Djokovic are both missing a second crown at Roland Garros.
For all his dominance in Paris, that would add another feather to the cap for 34-year-old Nadal. Most of Federer's major success has come at Wimbledon (eight titles), while Djokovic's has been at the Australian Open (also eight titles) – both establishing men's records at those tournaments. Nadal has been runner-up four times in Melbourne since his only title in 2009, while he has reached at least the quarter-finals in the past four years.
But just as Nadal, who is dealing with a back injury ahead of the tournament, stands in the way at the French Open, he will need to get past Djokovic – or have some luck – in Australia.
The Serbian has a 75-8 win-loss record at the tournament, including winning the past two titles. He has won the crown every time he has reached the semi-finals. Djokovic's previous blip in Melbourne came in 2017 and 2018, surprisingly beaten by Denis Istomin (second round) and Chung Hyeon (fourth round) respectively.
A year younger than Nadal, Djokovic is a 17-time grand slam champion, and he has made no secret of his desire to hold the record for most majors won by a man. Djokovic and Nadal have claimed nine of the past 10 majors, although the other one came recently as Dominic Thiem clinched last year's US Open, where the Spaniard and Federer were absent.
With preparations impacted by COVID-19, perhaps Thiem, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev or Andrey Rublev could threaten as the wait goes on for a changing of the guard in men's tennis.
But all eyes are unsurprisingly on Nadal and Djokovic as history again beckons.
Garbine Muguruza continued her impressive form to book a meeting with Ash Barty in the Yarra Valley Classic final.
Muguruza, the Spanish sixth seed at the WTA 500 event, crushed Marketa Vondrousova 6-1 6-0 on Saturday.
The two-time grand slam champion has lost just 10 games in four matches on her way to the final.
Muguruza lost just eight points on serve against Vondrousova while converting five of 11 break points.
She will meet Barty in the final after the Australian benefited from Serena Williams' withdrawal as the 23-time grand slam winner deals with a shoulder injury.
Naomi Osaka and Victoria Azarenka also withdrew on Saturday from the Gippsland Trophy and Grampians Trophy respectively.
At the Grampians Trophy, Anett Kontaveit was given a passage into the semi-finals, where Maria Sakkari awaits after her 6-4 6-2 win over Angelique Kerber.
Jennifer Brady and Ann Li will meet in the other semi after wins over Barbora Krejcikova and Sorana Cirstea respectively.
Elise Mertens will play the Gippsland Trophy final after Osaka's withdrawal with the Belgian to face Kaia Kanepi, who overcame Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3 7-6 (8-6) to reach her first WTA decider since 2013.
Naomi Osaka said the scheduling of lead-up events was a factor in her decision to withdraw from the Gippsland Trophy on Saturday.
The three-time major champion opted to pull out of her scheduled semi-final against Elise Mertens due to a shoulder injury.
Osaka, 23, was due to play a fourth match in five days, but decided to withdraw ahead of the Australian Open starting on Monday.
"Anyone that's kind of followed me for a bit knows that I've kind of had a slight shoulder thing since like 2018 in Beijing," the Japanese star told a news conference.
"It kind of flared up again because I played a lot of matches back-to-back. But, for me, my main focus is hoping I can rest enough before the Open."
Osaka, who will face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the Australian Open first round, said the time between the Gippsland Trophy and year's first major also impacted her decision.
"I would say it is a factor because for me, I don't normally play the tournament right before a slam," she said.
"But I felt like it was really necessary to get matches in. I think everyone felt that way.
"I'm kind of sad that I wasn't able to play today. But I think in the end it's the right decision."
Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated again as the Milwaukee Bucks won a third straight game, while the Boston Celtics edged the Los Angeles Clippers.
Two days after posting a triple-double against the Indiana Pacers, Antetokounmpo had a double-double in a 123-105 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA on Friday.
Antetokounmpo finished with 33 points, 12 rebounds and four assists for the Bucks (14-8).
Jrue Holiday went eight-of-nine from the field for his 17 points, while Collin Sexton (19 points) top-scored for the Cavs.
Jayson Tatum inspired the Celtics to a 119-115 victory over the Clippers.
He finished with 34 points and Kemba Walker chipped in with 24 for Boston, while Clippers star Kawhi Leonard had 28.
Zion reaches 1,000, Nets fall amid Durant drama
Zion Williamson had 18 points in the New Orleans Pelicans' 114-113 victory over the Pacers. He reached 1,000 career points in his 44th career game, becoming the fifth player in the past 40 years to do so in 44 games or fewer – joining Blake Griffin, Shaquille O'Neal, David Robinson and Michael Jordan.
Brandon Ingram (30 points, seven assists and six rebounds) led the way for the Pelicans.
Kevin Durant endured a rollercoaster day with the Brooklyn Nets. The star was removed from the starting lineup due to the NBA's health and safety protocols. After being allowed to enter the game in the first quarter, he exited in the third due to contact tracing. Pascal Siakam (33 points and 11 rebounds) guided the Toronto Raptors past the Nets 123-117.
The Utah Jazz hit a franchise-record 26 three-pointers in a 138-121 win over the Charlotte Hornets. Bojan Bogdanovic (31 points) made seven of them, while LaMelo Ball had 34 points for the Hornets.
Nikola Vucevic posted a huge double-double of 43 points and 19 rebounds to guide the Orlando Magic past the Chicago Bulls 123-119. He joined Dwight Howard and O'Neal as the only players to reach 43 points and 19 rebounds in a game for Orlando.
Beal's streak comes to an end
After 25-plus points in 17 straight games to begin the season, Bradley Beal's streak came to an end in the Washington Wizards' 122-95 loss to the Miami Heat. Beal was one-of-14 from the field for just seven points in 27 minutes.
Jazz red hot
Utah were on a roll from deep against the Hornets. They went 26-of-50 from three-point range in their record performance.
Friday's results
New Orleans Pelicans 114-113 Indiana Pacers
Orlando Magic 123-119 Chicago Bulls
Toronto Raptors 123-117 Brooklyn Nets
Milwaukee Bucks 123-105 Cleveland Cavaliers
Utah Jazz 138-121 Charlotte Hornets
Miami Heat 122-95 Washington Wizards
Minnesota Timberwolves 106-103 Oklahoma City Thunder
Phoenix Suns 109-92 Detroit Pistons
Boston Celtics 119-115 Los Angeles Clippers
Nets at 76ers
The Nets (14-10) are set to be without Durant for a clash against Eastern Conference leaders the Philadelphia 76ers (16-7) on Saturday.
Steve Nash believes Kevin Durant will miss Saturday's clash against the Philadelphia 76ers, but the Brooklyn Nets head coach is unsure how long the star will be out.
In an unusual series of events, Durant was named in the Nets' starting lineup to face the Toronto Raptors on Friday before being removed due to the NBA's health and safety protocols.
But Durant was allowed to enter the game in the first quarter, only to then exit in the third – again due to coronavirus protocols – as the Nets fell 123-117.
Nash said he was unsure how long Durant, who missed three games in January due to the health and safety protocols, would be sidelined.
"I don't believe he'll come to Philly, but I don't think that necessarily they've decided," he told a news conference.
"It's just a contact-tracing procedure and it's to be determined how much time he'll have to miss, but we're just gathering information still at this point."
Durant finished with eight points, six rebounds and five assists in 19 minutes against the Raptors.
Nash admitted he got distracted by Durant's situation as the Nets slipped to 14-10.
"If I'm honest, I probably didn't handle it great, just trying to juggle all those balls, all that different information, what does it mean," he said.
"I probably got a little distracted about thinking what it means long-term for our team. We've already been playing guys a lot of minutes and if Kevin's not playing are we going to run the remaining guys too many minutes.
"Maybe I got a little bit distracted by the big picture but that's the way this year's going to be. We're going to be in and out of COVID situations and minute pile-ups and all the difficulties that we're going to face this year and it's going to be similar for everyone.
"We just have to try to adapt and be able to bounce back from little setbacks like this and unfortunately we couldn't bounce back to win the game, but we've got to be able to bounce back this next week and play well and keep getting better."
Serena Williams admitted she would be dealing with her shoulder injury during the Australian Open, but the star is "very confident" she will be ready to go.
Williams withdrew from the Yarra Valley Classic on Friday due to a right shoulder injury.
Asked how she was feeling on Saturday, the 23-time grand slam singles champion was upbeat.
"I feel pretty good. I've gotten a lot of treatment already on my shoulder. But I'm super confident it's going to be great," Williams told a news conference.
"I'm feeling very confident, I think is a better word, and getting ready for hopefully the next two weeks."
However, Williams said the injury would be an issue throughout the Australian Open, which begins on Monday.
"It's definitely something that I'm going to have to deal with for the fortnight. Kind of knowing that going into a tournament definitely helps," the 39-year-old said.
"Also knowing, okay, I'm going to have to probably pick up some different therapy exercises after each match, etcetera.
"It's going to be really important."
Williams' last grand slam title came in Melbourne in 2017 and all eyes will again be on the American in her bid to equal Margaret Court's record of 24 major crowns.
While that record is again on her mind, Williams – who will face Laura Siegemund in the first round – said she was now more relaxed about it.
"It's definitely on my shoulders and on my mind. I think it's good to be on my mind," she said.
"I think it's a different burden, I should say, on my shoulders because I'm used to it now. It's more relaxing I would like to say, yeah."
Kevin Durant left the Brooklyn Nets' clash against the Toronto Raptors in the third quarter due to the NBA's health and safety protocols.
Durant exited Friday's game after a strange sequence of events, which saw him come off the bench for the first time in his career.
The 2014 NBA MVP was initially named to start but was later removed from the lineup.
Durant was then cleared to enter the game late in the first quarter, with ESPN reporting he had gone through contact tracing.
But his outing ended in the third quarter, again due to COVID-19 protocols.
"Free me," Durant tweeted.
Durant had eight points, six rebounds and five assists in his 19 minutes on the court.
"It's tough to lose Kevin Durant twice in one night," Nets head coach Steve Nash told ESPN.
"It wasn't easy but we've got to be adaptable, this is the type of season it's going to be, we have a lot going on in our world. We've got a lot of guys who can step up."
Sofia Kenin insisted her leg injury was improving as she prepares for her Australian Open title defence.
In a rematch of last year's Australian Open decider, Kenin was crushed 6-2 6-2 by Garbine Muguruza in the Yarra Valley Classic quarter-finals on Friday.
Kenin, 22, said she struggled with a leg injury which she hopes will not affect her at Melbourne Park, where the year's first grand slam begins on Monday.
"It was my left groin and my left glute, it was completely sore," the American told a news conference on Saturday.
"I think I was rolling a lot yesterday. Even before the match I rolled probably like an hour before they even finished. I was just rolling with the Theragun. It kind of got better, but it wasn't the best. She obviously played well."
Kenin, who will face Maddison Inglis in the Australian Open first round, added: "It's better, which I don't understand. From a match, now today it's better. Thank God. Obviously I'm not going to complain about that. I want it to be better for AO."
The defending champion's injury worry is just the latest ahead of the Australian Open, with Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka and Victoria Azarenka among those withdrawing from lead-up tournaments.
Kenin believes quarantine ahead of events had an impact, as well as long lay-offs.
"People who haven't played matches for two weeks, it's obviously not the same. Everyone is using this tournament to prepare for Australian Open," she said.
"Obviously you can see that being in a room for two weeks, not playing, practising, it's not the same as playing a match clearly. After two matches, my leg is completely sore.
"Yeah, it's obviously different. But everyone's obviously going to be ready for Australian Open, for sure."
Kevin Durant came off the bench for the first time in his NBA career after missing the start of the Brooklyn Nets' clash against the Toronto Raptors due to health and safety protocols.
Durant was initially named to start on Friday, but was later removed from the lineup due to the protocols.
ESPN reported the 2014 NBA MVP was going through contact tracing, and Durant ended up entering the game late in the first quarter.
After 866 NBA starts, it marked the first time he had come off the bench.
The Nets trailed 34-23 after the first quarter against the Raptors.
Naomi Osaka and Victoria Azarenka withdrew from their respective tournaments on Saturday due to injuries.
Osaka, a three-time grand slam champion, opted out of her Gippsland Trophy semi-final against Elise Mertens.
Azarenka, meanwhile, was due to face Anett Kontaveit in the Grampians Trophy quarter-finals.
Osaka said her move was a cautious one ahead of the Australian Open, which begins on Monday.
"Sorry to Tennis Australia and the fans to have to withdraw today," she said, via the WTA.
"I have a niggling injury and in light of the Australian Open on the horizon, I need to be cautious. I look forward to competing next week."
It continues what has been a difficult build-up to the first grand slam of the year.
On Friday, Serena Williams withdrew from her semi-final at the Yarra Valley Classic due to a right shoulder injury.
It comes amid a busy schedule for players after Thursday's action was called off due to a coronavirus scare.
Novak Djokovic said it was "a tough one" to take after Serbia's hopes of retaining the ATP Cup title were ended by defeat to Germany.
The world number one scored a tense 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 7-5 victory over Alexander Zverev in their singles rubber, levelling the match after Jan-Lennard Struff beat Dusan Lajovic in three sets.
Zverev and Struff then teamed up in doubles to net a 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 10-7 win over Djokovic and Nikola Cacic.
The singles workout and win sets up the eight-time Australian Open champion well for the start of that grand slam next week, which was the consolation Djokovic could take from defeat.
Speaking about his singles clash with Zverev, Djokovic said: "It was anybody's game really. He was a set up, a couple points here and there in the beginning of the second. I just returned well when I needed to and closed out the match.
"It's never easy playing against Sascha [Zverev] when he's in form, and he's in really good form. We pushed each other to the very limit, and I'm glad that I had such a battle with him.
"It's unfortunate we lost the tie. That's what this competition is all about. It's about the team, not about winning one match, a singles match. Yeah, it's a tough one."
Germany advance to face Russia in the semi-finals on Saturday, with Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev a formidable combination awaiting them.
Spain secured a shot at Italy in the second semi-final, despite a 2-1 defeat to Greece on Friday.
The Spanish team needed just one win in the group-stage match to advance, and that predictably came as Pablo Carreno Busta, ranked 16th by the ATP, beat world number 462 Michail Pervolarakis.
His 6-3 6-4 success could not be matched by team-mate Roberto Bautista Agut, who fell to a 7-5 7-5 defeat against Stefanos Tsitsipas, while Spain retired from the doubles rubber after one game, giving Greece a 2-1 success in the tie.
It remains to be seen whether Rafael Nadal will be fit to play any part in the semi-final, with the 20-time grand slam champion having been absent so far in the campaign due to a back injury.
"He's working very hard to recover his best feelings," said Spain captain Pepe Vendrell.
"Obviously he couldn't play any matches during the week. It's a situation that we have to study. But day by day he's improving. We will see [on Saturday] if he can play."
AWAY FROM THE ATP CUP, WAWRINKA ABANDONS
In the Murray River Open, Stan Wawrinka withdrew from his quarter-final with Jeremy Chardy after beating Australian Alex Bolt in a tough three-set match earlier in the day. Corentin Moutet, Dan Evans and Felix Auger-Aliassime joined Chardy in the last-four line-up.
Evans defeated Borna Coric, who had eliminated Australian hope Nick Kyrgios in his previous match.
All ATP and WTA tournaments are being played at Melbourne Park this week.
Thursday's play was cancelled due to a COVID-19 case affecting a worker from a hotel that accommodated quarantining players, and that meant Friday's schedule was packed.
The Great Ocean Road Open also saw players needing to win two matches in a day to reach the semi-finals, with Karen Khachanov, Thiago Monteiro and the Italian pair of Jannik Sinner and Stefano Travaglia coming through.
Serena Williams has withdrawn from her semi-final at the Yarra Valley Classic due to an injury to her right shoulder.
As a result, home favourite Ash Barty will progress to the final of the Australian Open warm-up event at Melbourne Park.
Williams, who is chasing an eighth Australian Open crown and an historic 24th grand slam singles success, had been in impressive form this week, demolishing Tsvetana Pironkova in straight sets.
Friday's quarter-final against American Danielle Collins proved a harder slog, as she was forced into a match tiebreak to win 6-2 4-6 10-6.
An anticipated showdown against Barty will now not come to pass, with the world number one to pursue a ninth career title against either Garbine Muguruza or Marketa Vondrousova.
"I think the rust is always there for everyone the first few matches of the season. But without a doubt, I felt better and better each match," Barty told reporters after being taken the distance by Shelby Rodgers.
"Each match has been very different, different challenges, different things I've had to overcome, which is the best thing, to be able to work through those and give myself another chance to play a little bit better the next day, focus on some new challenges for the next day."
Williams is due to face Germany's Laura Siegemund in the first round of the Australian Open on Monday.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James branded the decision to hold an NBA All-Star game this season as "pretty much a slap in the face".
The league and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) have agreed to stage the event in Atlanta on March 7, according to The Athletic.
The traditional February exhibition, initially set to be held in Indianapolis, was cancelled before the season started due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
James had expected the game not to go ahead and was anticipating a much-needed break after the Lakers go to the Sacramento Kings on March 4.
Speaking after leading the Lakers to a 114-93 win over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, James proclaimed he has "Zero energy and zero excitement about an All-Star game this year", adding: "I don't even know why we're having an All-Star game."
He said: "A short offseason for myself and my team-mates, and coming into the season, we were told we wouldn't have an All-Star game so we get a nice little break, five days from the fifth to the 10th, an opportunity for me to kind of recalibrate for the second half of the season.
"Then they throw an All-Star game on us like this. It's pretty much a slap in the face. We're still dealing with a pandemic, with everything that's been going on, and we're going to bring the whole league into one city that's open.
"You guys can see I'm not very happy about it but it's out of my hands. I'll be there physically [if I'm selected], but not mentally."
James was speaking after posting a second triple-double of the season – 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists – against the Nuggets as the Lakers moved to 17-6.
The 36-year-old is enjoying a 23-game streak of recording at least 15 points, five rebounds and five assists to start the season. It is the longest such run in NBA history, surpassing his own record of 22 set back in 2011-12.
James scored the 12,682nd field goal of his storied career, overtaking the great Wilt Chamberlain for the third-most in NBA history, with only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (15,837) and Karl Malone (13,528) now above him.
"The association with a legend like Wilt Chamberlain, that does something for me," James said. "I'm someone who grew up reading about the game, studying the game. Wilt obviously was a big staple of that. It's very humbling."
England start their quest to retain the Six Nations title against Scotland on Saturday just over three months after they were crowned champions.
The Red Rose dethroned Wales at the end of October, pipping France on points difference in a dramatic finale to a tournament that ended almost nine months after it started due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eddie Jones' side are favourites to win the competition again, but Les Bleus are also well fancied to end an 11-year wait for Six Nations glory and face Italy in the first match.
England do battle with Scotland for the Calcutta Cup at Twickenham, with Wales and Ireland locking horns in Cardiff on Sunday.
Ahead of the opening round, we preview the upcoming matches with help from Opta.
ITALY v FRANCE
FORM
France have won 19 of their 21 previous Six Nations matches against Italy (L2), including their last seven in a row. Their two defeats in that time both came in Rome, in 2011 and 2013.
Italy have lost their last 27 Six Nations matches, the longest losing streak in the history of the competition. Their last victory came at Murrayfield against Scotland in 2015, while they have not won at home since 2013.
Les Bleus achieved a cumulative points difference of +31 in the first 20 minutes of their 2020 Six Nations matches. No other side managed a positive double-digit points difference in that period of matches, but Italy had a -39 difference.
ONES TO WATCH
France wing Teddy Thomas scored a try in his last Test against Italy and is capable of lighting up the tournament. He can get off to a storming start in Rome.
Paolo Garbisi caught the eye at fly-half last year after being handed his debut against Ireland in October. Hopefully for his country, there is still much more to come from the 20-year-old.
ENGLAND v SCOTLAND
FORM
The last time England hosted Scotland in the Six Nations they drew 38-38 two years ago. Scotland clawed back the biggest ever half-time deficit (-24 pts, 7-31) by a side to avoid defeat in the tournament’s history, almost snatching victory before a late George Ford try denied them.
Scotland have never beaten England at Twickenham in the Six Nations (D1, L9), their last victory against them the Red Rose at the London venue came in 1983 in the Five Nations (22-12).
Gregor Townsend's side concluded the 2020 edition by winning their last three games in a row, their best run in the Championship since Italy joined in 2000.
ONES TO WATCH
England captain Owen Farrell has scored exactly 1,000 Test points, one of just six men to reach that milestone. He is just four points away from reaching a century against Scotland.
Finn Russell returns to the Scotland side and the creativity provided by the fly-half will be key for Townsend's men.
WALES v IRELAND
FORM
Wales have lost their last two home games in the Six Nations, the last time they suffered three consecutive defeats at home was in 2002-03. Wayne Pivac's side have lost their last four games in the competition, their worst streak since 2006-07 (L5).
No team scored more tries than Ireland in the Six Nations last year (17, along with France), four of those were launched from the back of a scrum. Wales (2) were the only other side to score multiple tries following a scrum.
Ireland scored seven tries in the final quarter of their fixtures in 2020, more than any other side. Wales, meanwhile, scored the joint-second most in that period (6, level with England).
ONES TO WATCH
Louis Rees-Zammit turned 20 this week and the Wales wing can celebrate in style with a livewire display at the Principality Stadium.
Ireland centre Garry Ringrose had terrible luck with injuries last year, but he is ready to fire on all cylinders in 2021.
Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic could face Dominic Thiem in a mouth-watering semi-final after being handed a tough path to success at Melbourne Park, where Serena Williams will continue her quest for a 24th grand slam singles title.
The Australian Open draw took place on Friday, with world number one Djokovic set to play Frenchman Jeremy Chardy in the opening round of the year's first major tournament.
Amid coronavirus concerns in Melbourne, where Swiss great Roger Federer is absent, Djokovic has set his sights on a ninth crown and 18th major success, but the top seed's title defence is far from straightforward.
Djokovic could face Gael Monfils (fourth round) and sixth seed Alexander Zverev (quarter-final) en route to a possible semi-final against US Open champion and third seed Thiem.
The Serb overcame Thiem in a five-set thriller in last year's Australian Open final, before the latter broke through for his maiden major trophy at Flushing Meadows.
Djokovic could then meet second seed and 20-time major champion Rafael Nadal in a blockbuster final – he blitzed the Spanish superstar in the 2019 Australian Open decider but lost in three one-sided sets in their previous meeting in the French Open final.
Nadal will go head-to-head with another Serb in the first round – Laslo Djere – while Stefanos Tsitsipas could await in the quarters, with 2019 US Open final opponent Daniil Medvedev also on the same side of the draw.
Meanwhile, Williams' bid for a record-equalling 24th slam will begin against German Laura Siegemund.
The 39-year-old Williams has been stuck on 23 majors since winning the Australian Open in 2017 – losing finals at Wimbledon (2018 and 2019) and the US Open (2018 and 2019).
World number one and local hope Ashleigh Barty will meet Montenegro's Danka Kovinic in round one and defending champion Sofia Kenin faces Australian wildcard Maddison Inglis.
The last 16 could see Williams clash with Aryna Sabalenka, Barty meet Petra Martic, Kenin tackle Johanna Konta and three-time major champion Naomi Osaka do battle with last year's runner-up Garbine Muguruza.
One in eight women in the Australian Open draw have already won a grand slam title.
One in eight. It is staggering that of the 128 players who set out in the hope of singles glory at Melbourne Park, there are 16 major champions among them, and perhaps never has it been so difficult to predict who will carry off the title.
Compare it to the men's draw, where there are just five grand slam singles winners, and where you would struggle to make a compelling case for any more than three of those this year, with apologies to Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic.
As long-running dynasties near their end on the men's and women's tours, the WTA is a lengthy step ahead of the ATP with a cast of appealing characters already assuming leading roles.
The leader of the pack
Three-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka is at the forefront of a school of rising stars, but she has impressive rivals for company.
The last four years have seen the 15 women's majors won by 12 different players, whereas in the men's game, Rafael Nadal (6), Novak Djokovic (5), Roger Federer (3) and Dominic Thiem (1) have creamed off all the top prizes in the same period.
Often criticised in the past for a perceived lack of depth, in the years when Serena Williams won seemingly at will, the women's tour has exploded with a rush of bright and young talent.
Osaka is a revelation and a leader, on and off the court. Twice a US Open champion now, and a winner in Australia two years ago, the 23-year-old Japanese star took a powerful stance for racial equality at Flushing Meadows back in September, at the height of Black Lives Matter protests. She wants to achieve even more off the court than on it, where she looks assured of one day leaving an impressive legacy.
If there is any area where Osaka's game falls down it is consistency. She has surprisingly not passed the fourth round in 14 of her 17 grand slam appearances, but on every occasion she has gone beyond that stage it has been en route to lifting a trophy.
In hot pursuit
Last year's three slam champions were, at the times of their triumphs, just 21 (Sofia Kenin - Australian Open), 19 (Iga Swiatek - French Open) and 22 (Osaka - US Open).
The women's game has not seen anything comparable in terms of youthful winners of its blue riband tournaments since 2004, when the 21-year-old Justine Henin won in Australia, Anastasia Myskina landed the Roland Garros title at 22, Maria Sharapova was a 17-year-old bolter to Wimbledon glory and 19-year-old Svetlana Kuznetsova scored a stunning Flushing Meadows victory.
Last year does not touch the 1997 season, when a 16-year-old Martina Hingis won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open, denied a grand slam clean sweep by 19-year-old Iva Majoli's shock French Open final win over the Swiss.
But women's tennis is still seeing a remarkable shift to relative youth.
The 2019 season saw a then 19-year-old Bianca Andreescu scoop a stunning US Open win, while Ash Barty took the French Open.
Andreescu has been sidelined with a knee injury since the 2019 WTA Finals, but she is back for Australia, where Queenslander Barty, now 24, is the home hero.
Brace for the prospect of Andreescu and Barty joining Kenin, Swiatek and Osaka in a group of five who can take the women's game boldly into the post-Williams era.
But the Williams era isn't over
This is true, and again Serena will make another attempt to land that elusive 24th grand slam, the one that would move her level with Margaret Court on the all-time list.
She remains, at the age of 39, a magnificent competitor and a beguiling player, as does sister Venus, who turns 41 in June.
Serena has lost her last four grand slam finals, however, and the most recent run to a title match came almost 18 months ago in New York, where Andreescu had her number.
As the new gang of five threaten to pull away from the old establishment, perhaps Williams is now in the next group, along with the likes of Simona Halep, Victoria Azarenka and Petra Kvitova: still perfectly capable of winning another slam or even multiple slams, but it feels important to strike now.
Serena has not won any of her last 10 slams, making it the longest span in her professional career without winning a major.
Barty party, or Sofia the second?
Osaka begins the Australian Open as favourite with bookmakers, but world number one Barty will have home support and could make that count. How she performs will be keenly watched, given she chose not to travel once the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year, sitting out 11 months.
Should Barty get on a roll, hopes will be high she can become the first Australian woman to take the title since Chris O'Neil in 1978. Last year, Barty fell in the semi-finals to Kenin, and she will be eager to land a second slam title.
Kenin, whose intense concentration and steely resolve helped her pull off last year's shock Melbourne win, and follow up with a run to the French Open final, can be a match for anyone. She will be aiming to become the first woman to win back-to-back Australian Open titles since Azarenka in 2012 and 2013.
Success on this level has come perhaps ahead of schedule for the American, and the same can be said for Swiatek, whose demolition of the field at Roland Garros in October made a mockery of her being ranked number 53 in the world.
The teenage Polish player became her country's first grand slam singles champion, and with that status comes the expectation she will follow it up. How that turns out for her will be one of the most intriguing of sub-plots in the new season.
Changing priorities
Halep said in a recent WTA interview that winning an Olympic medal was her "main goal" for 2021, although Osaka will also have the Tokyo Games firmly circled in her diary.
For the likes of those other players among the 16 slam winners in the Melbourne draw, there will be differing targets this year, too.
Angelique Kerber, Sloane Stephens, Jelena Ostapenko and particularly Garbine Muguruza may yet come good again on the big stage at some point this season.
For Venus Williams, Kuznetsova and Samantha Stosur, it may be a case of one final hurrah.
As the likes of Coco Gauff emerge as potential future big-stage winners, and fledgling ambassadors, the women's game looks in safe hands.
LeBron James inspired reigning NBA champions the Los Angeles Lakers to a 114-93 win over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday.
James posted his second triple-double of the season – 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists – to guide the Lakers past the visiting Nuggets in Los Angeles.
With the 12,682nd bucket of his illustrious career, Lakers superstar James surpassed Wilt Chamberlain for the third-most field goals made in NBA history.
James' 23-game streak of recording 15-plus points, five-plus rebounds and five-plus assists to start the season is the longest run in NBA history, surpassing his own record of 22 in a row in 2011-12.
The Lakers recorded their third consecutive win after overturning a 12-point deficit against Western Conference rivals the Nuggets.
According to Stats Perform, it is the largest margin of victory in franchise history after trailing by double digits at half-time. The previous high was a 20-point win at the Phoenix Suns on Christmas Day in 1968.
Night to remember for Oubre
Kelly Oubre Jr. scored a career-high 40 points as the Golden State Warriors overpowered the Dallas Mavericks 147-116. Stephen Curry had 28 points for the Warriors in Dallas.
Joel Embiid hurt his knee but had a game-high 37 points in the Philadelphia 76ers' shock 121-105 loss at home to the Portland Trail Blazers, who were without stars Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
Scoreless Rondo
Rajon Rondo did not score a point in the Atlanta Hawks' 112-91 defeat to the Utah Jazz. Rondo was 0 of seven from the field, while he missed all three of his attempts from beyond the arc in 28 minutes.
Embiid did not have much support in Philadelphia as the 76ers struggled without Ben Simmons. Tobias Harris finished with 12 points on just five-of-14 shooting from the field. The All-Star hopeful missed both of his three-point efforts.
The Houston Rockets beat the Memphis Grizzlies 115-103, however P.J. Tucker was one-of-eight from the field, and one-of-seven from three-point range for three points in 34 minutes.
The LeBron show
James was at his brilliant best against the Nuggets, showcasing his elite shooting and passing skills.
Thursday's results
Utah Jazz 112-91 Atlanta Hawks
Golden State Warriors 147-116 Dallas Mavericks
Portland Trail Blazers 121-105 Philadelphia 76ers
Houston Rockets 115-103 Memphis Grizzlies
Los Angeles Lakers 114-93 Denver Nuggets
Raptors at Nets
The star-studded Brooklyn Nets (14-9) will host the Toronto Raptors (9-12) on Friday. The Los Angeles Clippers (17-6) and Milwaukee Bucks (13-8) will also be in action.
The Los Angeles Angels have acquired World Series champion and All-Star Dexter Fowler from the St Louis Cardinals, it was announced on Thursday.
MLB veteran Fowler is swapping the Cardinals for the Angels in exchange for a player to be named or cash considerations.
The Cardinals – who secured star third baseman Nolan Arenado in a blockbuster trade with the Colorado Rockies on Monday – are also sending the Angels $12.75million as part of the deal.
Fowler will reunite with Angels manager Joe Maddon after the pair teamed up during the Chicago Cubs' triumphant World Series run in 2016.
The 34-year-old Fowler – in the final year of a five-year-, $82.5m deal – left the Cubs for the Cardinals ahead of the 2017 season.
Fowler batted .233/.317/.389 with four home runs and 15 RBIs in 31 games during the coronavirus-shortened 2020 campaign.
In his last full season, Fowler hit .238/.346/.409 with 19 homers, 24 doubles and 67 RBIs in 150 games in 2019.
Since debuting with the Rockies in 2008, Fowler is a career .259/.358/.418 hitter with 127 home runs, 253 doubles, 82 triples and 516 RBIs in 1,453 games.
The Angels have not reached the playoffs since being swept by the Kansas City Royals in the 2014 American League Division Series (ALDS).
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
