Alex Corretja believes Novak Djokovic is the “main favourite” for the 2024 Australian Open title but expects it to be the “most open” edition of the tournament “in the last years.”

The two-time French Open runner-up feels there are “several players that can do very well and are playing their best” and thinks “they can really cause problems” to Djokovic.

Djokovic is the defending Australian Open champion, having defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets in this year’s championship match to win a 10th crown.

The 36-year-old has won the Melbourne Grand Slam the last four times he has competed, having missed the 2022 edition due to his deportation over his vaccine status.

The Serbian great has remarkably never lost a final or semi-final match at the Australian Open and holds a stunning 89-8 (92%) record at the event.

The 2024 Australian Open, which will be the 112th installment of the Major, will run from January 14 to 27.

World No 2 Carlos Alcaraz is set to play the Australian Open for the first time since 2022 after missing the 2023 tournament through injury.

Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner, ranked third and fourth respectively, are also expected to be among the main contenders for the title.

Corretja recognised that Djokovic will again be the man to beat at the tournament he has dominated, but expressed his view that the world No 1 will be tested by his rivals.

“He (Djokovic) is the main favourite; I think it’s going to be one of the most [open] Australian Opens we had in the last few years, because we have several players that can do very well and are playing their best, physically,” the former world No 2 told Eurosport.

“They’re growing, they’re getting stronger. And mentally, it is pretty much the first time you have players who believe they can do well in a best-of-five Slam, and sustain their level for a long time.

“After three, four matches, they were already exhausted. But now I think you have players that they can really cause problems to Novak [Djokovic]. And that’s what I think is going to be probably the most open Australian in the last years.

“I’m sure. I’m sure that [Carlos] Alcaraz is ready to do well. I’m sure that [Jannik] Sinner is going to be ready to do well. [Daniil] Medvedev, [Alexander] Zverev, [Holger] Rune, [Andrey] Rublev have been playing very well too.

“[Stefanos] Tsitsipas also likes to play in Australia and some of the young ones that might surprise us, like [Sebastian] Korda and [Ben] Shelton, it’s not going to be any easy to beat them.”