Rafael Nadal believes Novak Djokovic will face stern test in bid to win 10th Australian Open title

Defending Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal believes his great rival Novak Djokovic will not be an overwhelming favorite going into the 2023 Australian Open. The Spanish great feels that even the 9-time winner at the Melbourne Grand Slam will find it tough to fend off the constantly mounting challenge from the younger generation.

Djokovic will return to the Australian Open in January after putting the ghost of the controversy in Australia earlier this year behind him. The recent overturning of his visa ban will allow the Serbian great to enter Australia to play in the 2023 Australian Open, meaning that he will bid for a record-extending 10th title at the first Grand Slam of the tennis season.

Additionally, he will aim to become only the second male player ever, after Nadal, to win the same Grand Slam singles tournament at least 10 times. The Spaniard believes Djokovic is a strong candidate to regain the Australian Open title in 2023 given his stellar record there, but it is much easier said than done because of the Next Gen challenge.

"Obviously, someone who has won a tournament 9 times is a candidate. But there are many young people who push and they are open tournaments," Nadal said in a recent interview with Cadena SER.

Carlos Alcaraz, the current World No. 1, will lead that challenge from the younger players, having won his maiden Grand Slam title at the last Major played, the 2022 US Open. Meanwhile, the likes of Holger Rune, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Taylor Fritz, among others, have also presented themselves as contenders with strong performances last season.

World No. 2 Casper Ruud, who reached two Grand Slam finals in 2022, and Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion who has also reached back-to-back finals at the Australian Open, are also constantly knocking on the doors of Grand Slam success. So are Stefanos Tsitsipas and the returning Alexander Zverev.

Meanwhile, Nadal himself has great memories of the latest edition of the Australian Open. He became the first man in history to win 21 Grand Slam singles titles after registering a comeback win for the ages in the 2022 final against Medvedev.

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"Objective is to be competitive in everything" - Rafael Nadal ready to challenge for more titles in 2023

Rafael Nadal celebrates after winning the 2022 Australian Open.

After the second half of his highly impressive 2022 season was dominated by injuries, an injury-free Rafael Nadal is preparing for the 2023 season.

Speaking about his goals and hopes of winning at least one more Grand Slam next season, the 36-year-old suggested that he will set his overall goals for 2023 based on the level of tennis he can produce at the start of the season. However, he vowed to be competitive enough to aim for the title each time he plays on tour.

"The objectives and the level and the tennis state will set my objectives. My objective is to be competitive in everything I play," Nadal said.

He also admitted that he never saw himself still playing at the tour level at the age of 36, given his history of injury troubles.

"Despite the injuries, we are still active at an age that we thought would not be there, I was the first," the 14-time French Open champion added.

The Spaniard will start his 2023 season in the inaugural United Cup, representing Team Spain.