Novak Djokovic after winning the Australian Open title last year. He has won nearly half of his Grand Slam singles titles at the tournament.Credit...Alana Holmberg for The New York Times


MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic’s loss in Australian court on Sunday will have big implications on the tennis court as well.
He has been the dominant force at the Australian Open for the last decade, winning a record nine men’s singles titles, including the last three.
His forced withdrawal, which he acknowledged in a statement on Sunday night after judges ruled against restoring his visa, leaves a power vacuum at the top of the draw.
He had been seeded No. 1, scheduled to face his Serbian compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic on Monday night at Melbourne Park. But Djokovic will now be replaced by a “lucky loser”: Salvatore Caruso, an Italian ranked No. 150 who was selected from the list of players who lost in the final round of the qualifying tournament.
In Djokovic’s absence, there is only one former Australian Open singles champion in this year’s men’s tournament: Rafael Nadal, who won his lone title in Melbourne in 2009 and is coming back from chronic foot problems.
“It definitely opens things up for a lot of guys,” said Brad Stine, the coach of Tommy Paul, a rising American who could have faced Djokovic in the second round. “It just went from having one enormous favorite in the draw to having a very large number of guys who have the potential to win the tournament.”
Daniil Medvedev of Russia, right, with Djokovic after beating him in the United States Open final last year. Medvedev is now one of the favorites to win the Australian Open.Credit...Ben Solomon for The New York TimesAt the head of that list are Daniil Medvedev of Russia, the No. 2 seed, and No. 3, Alexander Zverev of Germany. Medvedev defeated Djokovic in last year’s United States Open final to win his first Grand Slam singles title, having lost to Djokovic in the 2021 Australian Open final.
Zverev has yet to win a Grand Slam title, but he did beat Djokovic on his way to the Olympic gold medal in singles at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. He defeated Djokovic again en route to the title at the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy, in November.
“Those two guys stand out for sure,” said Darren Cahill, the ESPN analyst and veteran coach. “Zverev is due.”
But no player remaining can match Djokovic’s aura or achievements in Melbourne.
He has won nearly half of his Grand Slam singles titles at the Australian Open, where the medium-speed hardcourt surface matches his skill set to perfection. But it is now far from clear that he will ever be in position to win another title in Melbourne. He is 34, and the cancellation of his visa could mean a three-year ban on travel to Australia, although the government could reduce or eliminate that penalty.
For now, he remains tied for the men’s record of 20 Grand Slam singles titles with Roger Federer and Nadal. With Federer absent because of injury, Nadal, 35, is the only one of the so-called Big Three with the chance to break the tie in Melbourne.
Djokovic certainly should have more chances to add to his total. He is a multisurface threat and is the reigning champion at the French Open, which he has won twice, and Wimbledon, which he has won six times.
But his continued success will also depend on his ability to recover from his traumatic experience in Melbourne.
“It will be interesting to see where he is mentally and where he is emotionally after this,” Stine said.

Source: New York Times

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