HOW THE LEADING MEN'S CONTENDERS AND AUSSIE HOPES SHAPE UP FOR THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN STARTING ON MONDAY
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NOVAK DJOKOVIC (SRB)
Age: 31
Ranking: 1
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US125,847,879 ($A174.62 million)
Career titles: 72
Grand slam titles: 14 (Australian Open 2008, 2011-2013, 2015-16; French Open 2016; Wimbledon 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018; US Open 2011, 2015, 2018)
Australian Open win-loss record: 61-8
Best Australian Open results: champion 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016
The resurgent Serb is halfway through completing his second non-calendar-year grand slam sweep and few would back against him taking the third step at his happiest major hunting ground.
RAFAEL NADAL (ESP)
Age: 32
Ranking: 2
Plays: left-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US103,251,975 ($A143.27 million)
Career titles: 80
Grand slam titles: 17 (Australian Open 2009; French Open 2005-08, 2010-14, 2017-18; Wimbledon 2008, 2010; US Open 2010, 2013, 2017)
Australian Open win-loss record: 55-12
Best Australian Open result: champion 2009
It's now a decade since the great Spaniard celebrated his lone title triumph in Melbourne and time is slipping away for the 32-year-old to join Rod Laver and Roy Emerson as the only men to have won all four grand slam singles crowns at least twice.
ROGER FEDERER (SUI)
Age: 37
Ranking: 3
Plays: right-handed
Career prize money: $US120,514,916 ($A167.22 million)
Career titles: 99
Grand slam titles: 20 (Australian Open 2004, 2006-07, 2010, 2017-18; French Open 2009; Wimbledon 2003-07, 2009, 2012, 2017; US Open 2004-2008)
Australian Open win-loss record: 94-13
Best Australian Open results: champion 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2017, 2018
Like Djokovic, the mighty Swiss is chasing an unprecedented seventh men's singles crown at Melbourne Park while an Open hat-trick would also take Federer's career title tally to a magical No.100.
ALEXANDER ZVEREV (GER)
Age: 21
Ranking: 4
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US15,747,928 ($A21.85 million)
Career titles: 10
Grand slam titles: 0
Australian Open win-loss record: 4-3
Best Australian Open results: third round 2017, 2018
The 2018 season-ending championship winner is under an injury cloud and continues to disappoint at the slams but it seems only a matter of time before the young German breaks through on one of the sport's biggest stages.
KEVIN ANDERSON (RSA)
Age: 32
Ranking: 6
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US15,823,923 ($A21.96 million)
Career titles: 6
Grand slam titles: 0
Australian Open win-loss record: 11-10
Best Australian Open results: fourth round 2013, 2014, 2015
With runs to the final in New York and Wimbledon in the past 18 months, the South African has emerged as a bona fide grand slam contender but has yet to really make his mark in Melbourne.
MARIN CILIC (CRO)
Age: 30
Ranking: 7
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US26,106,425 ($A36.22 million)
Career titles: 18
Grand slam titles: 1 (US Open 2014)
Australian Open win-loss record: 26-10
Best Australian Open result: finalist 2018
Runner-up to Federer last year, the big-hitting former US Open champion is proving a perennial grand slam force and could sneak off with the title if the big dogs falter.
BEST OUTSIDER
KEI NISHIKORI (JPN)
Age: 29
Ranking: 9
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US21,765,766 ($A30.2 million)
Career titles: 12
Grand slam titles: 0
Australian Open win-loss record: 23-8
Best Australian Open results: quarter-finalist 2012, 2015, 2016
After a wretched run with injury, the Japanese trailblazer has regained his place in the world's top 10 with a big 2018 including a US Open semi-final showing before opening this season with title success in Brisbane.
BEST AUSTRALIAN HOPES
ALEX DE MINAUR
Age: 19
Ranking: 30
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US1,594,331 ($A2.21 million)
Career titles: 1
Grand slam titles: 0
Australian Open win-loss record: 1-2
Best Australian Open result: second round 2017
Seeded for the first time at a slam, the ATP's 2018 Newcomer of the Year has started the new season on fire with a maiden ATP title in Sydney after reaching two finals and surging from outside the top 200 last year.
NICK KYRGIOS
Age: 23
Ranking: 52
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US6,627,174 ($A9.2 million)
Career titles: 4
Grand slam titles: 0
Australian Open win-loss record: 11-5
Best Australian Open results: quarter-finalist 2015
The underdone and under-achieving super-talent hasn't made the last eight at a slam in four years and has a brutal draw after being seeded at a major for the first time since the 2015 US Open.
Australian Associated Press