Thirty-nine days only after the Masters which traditionally closes the season, the ban and the back ban of the ATP and WTA circuits have already repacked their bags and shortened the end-of-year celebrations with their families.

Direction "Down Under", where the first Grand Slam tournament, the Australian Open, takes place from January 16.

While waiting to do battle on the courts of Melbourne Park, they will refine their preparation during tournaments organized in Australia, New Zealand or India with this year a new meeting which recalls... an old one.

Like the Hopman Cup organized until 2018 in Perth, the United Cup is a mixed tournament, involving players representing their country.

Disputed in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney, this tournament opposes 18 teams with the key points for the ATP and WTA rankings and beautiful checks thanks to an overall prize pool of 15 million dollars.

"I will try to forget"

The event seduced the world N.1 Iga Swiatek, the Spaniard Rafael Nadal (N.2), the French Caroline Garcia (N.4), the Norwegian Casper Ruud (N.3) or the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas ( N.4).

If the event is new, Swiatek approaches it with appetite, aware that she is now "THE" player to beat: "It's as if everything was starting from scratch (...) I'm going to try to forget everything what I accomplished in 2022", explained the Polish woman who flew over last season with eight titles, including two majors (Roland-Garros and US Open).

Another revelation of 2022, Ruud, an unfortunate finalist at Roland-Garros and the US Open, who is aiming for a first Grand Slam title in 2023 and neither more nor less than the place of world No.1 occupied by the Spanish prodigy Carlos Alcaraz .

"If I can become (world No.1), it may be in the near future, if I have a good tour" Australian, said Ruud, who is just 1000 points behind Alcaraz.

Poland's Iga Swiatek during a 2022 World Tennis League exhibition match against Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), December 24, 2022 © Ryan LIM / AFP/Archives

At 36, Rafael Nadal has already won everything, including 22 Grand Slam titles, but is not ready to hang up despite recurring foot pain.

"The last few months have not been easy for me. My main objective now is to find good feelings on the court, to be competitive", assured "Rafa" on Wednesday, who swept aside the idea that the Open of Australia 2023 would be the last of his career.

"I don't think this will be my last time here. I'm happy to do what I'm doing. I would like to continue doing it", he insisted, while acknowledging: "you never know when this will be the last time".

"Good for tennis"

But the most anticipated player of this start to the season will not participate in the United Cup: Novak Djokovic arrived in Australia on Tuesday and will take part in the Adelaide tournament from Sunday.

The Serb returns to Australia after having lived there in 2022 the darkest episode of his career.

Not vaccinated against Covid-19, he had tried to circumvent the vaccination obligation then in force in Australia with a derogation deemed unjustified by the Australian authorities, which earned him deportation after a stay in a detention center, criticism from Australian politicians and legal action.

His return only seems (for the moment) to make people happy.

"It's good for tennis, probably good for the fans," Nadal said.

"He will become the player to beat again," said Australian Open boss Craig Tiley.

Spaniard Rafael Nadal during a training session in Sydney, December 28, 2022 © SAEED KHAN / AFP

"Djoko" fell back to 5th in the world after his funny 2022 season without an American tour due again to his vaccination status but enamelled with five titles, including Wimbledon and the Masters.

"In the past, I have always had the chance to start my years in Australia very strongly," he warned last week.

© 2022 AFP