Ready? Stars in flux as tennis season starts

PERTH: As the new tennis season gets under way this weekend, several top players are in flux with questions over their form and fitness. AFP Sport looks at the varying fortunes of seven big names.

Serena Williams

The American great is attempting one of the great comebacks in sport as she returns to the court just four months after becoming a mother. Williams, who welcomed her first child, Alexis Olympia, in September, will play an exhibition match in Abu Dhabi on Saturday (today) against French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko. Williams, who hasn’t played since she won the Australian Open 11 months ago — while pregnant — is expected to defend her title in Melbourne next month.

Maria Sharapova

Russia’s Sharapova will look for a strong start to her season at the Shenzhen Open after a mixed return to the circuit in April following a 15-month drugs ban. Next month, Sharapova will play her first Australian Open since 2016 after improving her ranking to 59th.

Rafael Nadal

Defying all expectations, Nadal brilliantly revived his glory days in 2017, winning his 10th French Open and third US Open title, and finishing the season as world number one. But familiar injury doubts have made for an uncertain start to the new campaign as Nadal, 31, pulled out of the Brisbane International saying he was “not ready”. Reports have cast doubt over Nadal’s recovery from a right knee injury after he earlier withdrew from an exhibition appearance in Abu Dhabi.

Roger Federer

The 36-year-old also rolled back the years in 2017 and is showing no signs of slowing down as he builds towards his Australian Open title defence. Federer says he’s fit and ready after a “great” off-season as he returns to action at the Hopman Cup in Perth, starting on Saturday. Much will depend on the health of his ‘Big Four’ rivals, but Federer could continue to set new standards for longevity this year.

Novak Djokovic

Can the ‘Djoker’ regain his smile? King Novak ruled tennis for nearly two years until a sudden loss of form, coinciding with speculation over his private life, in mid-2016. Djokovic hasn’t played since retiring from the Wimbledon quarter-finals with an elbow injury in July, and he shapes as an unknown quantity heading into the new season.

Andy Murray

Fitness doubts linger over the British former world number one, who has also been off the circuit since July after suffering a hip injury. Murray, 30, began last season as the world number one but he has far more modest goals heading into 2018. “I want to get back to playing tennis, I want to be fit and healthy and that is what is driving me just now,” he told Sky Sports this week.