Over the next two weeks, as the new season begins and the Australian Open nears, our panel of writers and editors will debate the five burning questions on each tour.
STEVE TIGNOR, Senior Writer: Serena once dominated Down Under. She has five titles there, and she has said that she loves few things more than starting the season with a win in Melbourne. So it’s strange that, in the three years since she has returned to No. 1, she has done it without an Australian Open title. In each of those years, Serena was contending with an ailment. That could mean she needs to train harder in the off-season to get sharp right away, or it could mean she needs to rest more to stay healthy. Or it could mean she just needs to be luckier. Regardless, getting her body right is the first step to returning to the winner’s podium.
PETER BODO, Senior Writer: Only one person stands between Serena and another title in Oz, and that’s Serena. Last year, her fourth-round loss to Ana Ivanovic set the tone for most of her Slam year, in which she struggled until the last moment, saving her season with a win at the US Open.
Williams’ five-year drought Down Under ought to give her some extra incentive—not that she will need it on the hard courts so suited to her game. Of course, she’s 33 and has been incrementally more injury prone with the passing years. But if she can keep herself healthy and avoid lapses of focus, she’ll win it all.