Australian Open 2020: Analyzing Roger Federer's chances at the first Grand Slam of the year

The 108th edition of the Australian Open will get underway on the 20th of January 2020. And as usual, one man who will draw a lot of eyeballs from across the world is the legendary Roger Federer.

Federer continues to delude all those who watch him into believing that the passage of time is nothing more than an illusion. The Swiss Maestro is still ranked No. 3 in the world, and still regularly bewitches his opponents with the racquet in his hand.

But the question on the minds of millions of fans is: can Roger Federer break his Grand Slam drought and capture the first Major of 2020, and in the process extend his lead over arch-rival Rafael Nadal?

Rafael Nadal

To answer that, let us take a small peek into what history has to say. Out of the last 10 Australian Open tournaments, nine of them have been won by either Federer or Novak Djokovic. The Serb in fact has captured the title on a staggering six occasions, while Federer has won the Australian Open thrice this decade.

Also, Federer has not won a single Grand Slam since his triumph at the Australian Open in 2018. From the 2018 Australian Open up until now, Nadal has captured three Grand Slam titles, and Djokovic four.

With Djokovic back to his regal self, having dismantled Nadal in last year’s final, Federer would have his task cut out against the defending champion. Another important statistic that adds further weight to this assertion is that Federer has not beaten Djokovic even once in a Grand Slam final this entire decade - while Djokovic has got the better of Federer in four of them.

2019 Australian Open Trophy Presentation

So things would indeed be very difficult for Federer if he has to face the Serb at any point in the tournament. Moreover, the NextGen are continuing to breath down the necks of the Big 3, and Federer had a taste of that first hand when Stefanos Tsitsipas knocked him out in the fourth round of the 2019 Australian Open.

On the face of it, it looks like the odds of Federer winning the first Grand Slam of the year aren't very bright. But then again, with great champions, the possibilities are endless.

Federer has time and again proven his doubters wrong. His millions of fans will be hoping that their idol once again turns back the clock in Melbourne, and goes on to capture his 7th Australian Open title this year.