Serena shooting for Slam history

US Open winner Osaka says most in the locker room believed the 23 Grand-Slam winner veteran remains the one to beat

MELBOURNE: Serena Williams has adopted a low profile ahead of the Australian Open, but rival players admit the American's shadow looms large in Melbourne as she eyes a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam crown.

Williams won her 23rd title and seventh at Melbourne Park while eight weeks pregnant two years ago, and now attempts to match Margaret Court's mark of 24 singles majors on the Australian's home soil.

The 37-year-old's last outing on tour was her meltdown in losing the US Open final to Naomi Osaka in September and she enters the season-opening Slam as the 16th seed.

Yet she has proved in the past that such numbers mean little to her and Osaka said most in the locker room believed the veteran remains the one to beat in Melbourne.

"I'm pretty sure (that's the case)," said the Japanese star.

"But there's a group of players that I think everyone thinks is very difficult to play against, especially in Grand Slams," Osaka added.

Serena's 2017 triumph Down Under gave her the outright Open-era record for singles majors ahead of Steffi Graf's 22, leaving only Court's tally of 24 titles -- 13 of which were earned in the amateur era before 1968 -- for her to chase.



Defending champion Caroline Wozniacki admitted Serena, already hailed by many as the greatest of all time, was an unknown quantity in Melbourne after sitting out the end of the 2018 season following the US Open blow-up.

"I haven't seen her play a match, so I don't really know," Wozniacki responded when quizzed about the American's form.

The Danish third seed preferred to concentrate on her own prospects, dismissing concerns health problems were affecting her game.

She achieved a career milestone last year to claim her maiden Grand Slam at Melbourne Park, but also revealed she was suffering the debilitating auto-immune condition rheumatoid arthritis.

But the 28-year-old insisted she was managing her illness and was relishing the prospect of defending her crown.

"All I can say is that I feel good. I feel like I'm hitting the ball well," she said.

Wozniacki's vanquished opponent in last year's final, Simona Halep, arrives in Australia with the world number one ranking and her confidence overflowing after winning the French Open.

The Romanian said she was untroubled by the back injury that curtailed her 2018 season and was mentally stronger as a result of last year's loss in the decider.

"I didn't want to think that much about that match because it was really painful to lose it, but I learned some things from that match," she said.

"Now I know how to manage better if that happens again."

Second-ranked Angelique Kerber has already indicated her priority for 2019 will be the French Open, the only Slam to elude the 30-year-old German in her career.

Osaka is the leading contender among the younger generation of players, warming up for Melbourne by making the semi-finals of the Brisbane International.

While the 21-year-old has appeared level-headed since her breakthrough at Flushing Meadows, she said she was still getting used to the spotlight.

Seventh heaven beckons for Federer, Djokovic at Open as Murray bows out

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are both gunning for a record seventh Australian Open crown from Monday, but Andy Murray will make his last appearance in Melbourne as the era of the "Big Four" draws to a close.

Number one Djokovic and third seed Federer face a stern challenge from the likes of youthful force Alexander Zverev, seeded four, who is still looking for a first major to cement his place as torch-bearer for the next generation.

But Murray dropped a pre-Grand Slam bombshell, breaking down during a tear-filled press conference as he revealed chronic hip pain means he will retire after Wimbledon -- if he can carry on that long.



And question marks remain over the fitness of world number two Rafael Nadal who pulled out of his Brisbane warm-up but arrived in Melbourne professing he was "fully fit" and promising to unleash a remodelled serve.

It all means the era of the "Big Four" is almost over after a season in which Federer -- who opens his title defence against Denis Istomin on Monday -- rolled back the years on Rod Laver Arena to lift an emotional 20th Grand Slam.

It put him on a par with other six-time Australian Open winners Djokovic and Roy Emerson -- although the Australian great's victories all came before the Open era.

By contrast, the 31-year-old Djokovic endured a miserable early Melbourne exit in 2018, followed by elbow surgery and a string of disappointing results that saw him drop outside the top 20.

But since winning a fourth Wimbledon in July the Serb rose inexorably back to number one by losing only three further matches -- one of which was to Zverev at the ATP Finals.

Djokovic won his third US Open in September to put him on 14 Grand Slams -- three behind Nadal and six behind Federer.

And Djokovic said Sunday he was delighted to be back in Melbourne where his rise to greatness all began in 2008 with his first Grand Slam win.

"It was my first major trophy, that obviously served as a great springboard for my career," Djokovic said as he prepared to open his assault on a seventh crown against American Mitchell Krueger on Tuesday.

"It opened a lot of doors for me. It allowed me to believe in myself that I can actually win the biggest tournaments in the world, challenge the best players in the world."

Federer, now 37, remains the chief threat to the Serb and he sounded a warning Sunday.

"I'm playing good tennis. I'm confident that I think it needs a good performance by my opponent probably to beat me," said the Swiss master, who warmed for Melbourne with victory in Perth's Hopman Cup.