“The men are very strong, they’re very deep, and there’s a lot of opportunity for these guys to go deep into the second week [of grand slams],” Rafter said.
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“That’s where you want them, and then anything can happen. They’re knocking on the door, and the great thing about the depth is they push each other.
“It’s in a very healthy state right now. It’s not from lack of effort, they’re putting themselves in the best position they can.
“They’ve come up against some great players – you look at guys like Alcaraz and Sinner, and you look at our boys. They’re very, very close. What does it take? In my experience, a bit of luck helps.
“You never know, the draw could open up and you have to be there to take advantage of it.”
The Australian trio will contend with elite stars in Grigor Dimitrov, Frances Tiafoe, Gael Monfils and Holger Rune at the Brisbane International, a field which was strengthened again on Wednesday.
Former world No.1 Djokovic will play in the competition for the first time since 2009.
Only Lleyton Hewitt has won a grand slam among Australian men since Pat Rafter (pictured).Credit: AP
His record at the Australian Open – a tournament he has won 10 times – will have him at short odds to break his tie with Margaret Court with 24 grand slam titles. However, he will begin in Brisbane short on court time after withdrawing from ATP Finals with an unspecified injury.
“Novak’s had a bit of an interrupted second half of the year ... he’s just looking at what’s his best pathway to start the season and then into Melbourne,” Brisbane International tournament director Cam Pearson said.
“Roger [Federer] won his 1000th ATP tour singles match on this court … what a fairytale it would be if Novak won his 100th title on the same court.”