Three Reasons Novak Djokovic May Win The 2019 Australian Open

1. It's his best Slam.
Take any statistic you want, and nearly all of them will show you Novak Djokovic's best Grand Slam tournament takes place at Melbourne Park. In 14 appearances, he's won 88 per cent (61-8) of his matches and six titles – both personal bests at Slams.

Thinking of it a different way: Nearly half the time Djokovic has shown up in Melbourne, he's won the event. His six titles have him tied with Roger Federer for the Open Era record. Djokovic outright owns the Open Era record for most consecutive Australian Open titles won at three, triumphing from 2011-13.

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“I've had a love affair with Rod Laver Arena for many years and I hope it can last a long time,” Djokovic said after winning his most recent Australian Open title, in 2016.

2. Hard courts are his best surface.
Each member of the historic trio has his favourite roaming ground: Rafael Nadal loves the dirt, Federer favours the grass, and Djokovic dominates the concrete.

The Serbian has won 84 per cent (542-102) of his matches on hard courts, an Open Era record, according to the FedEx ATP Performance Zone. To place that three-digit number in context, only 45 men in the Open Era have won 500 matches, on all surfaces combined. American Jim Courier, a former No. 1 and a four-time Grand Slam champion, finished his career with 506 wins, total.

Two out of every three titles (54/84) Djokovic has won have come on outdoor hard courts.

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3. He's on a roll.
Since the start of Wimbledon, Djokovic has won 38 of his 42 matches, including titles at SW19, the Western & Southern Open, the US Open and the Rolex Shanghai Masters. He'll try to become the first man to win three or more consecutive Grand Slam titles three times.

The No. 1 player in the ATP Rankings won three consecutive Slams in 2011-12, and he won all four consecutively in 2015-16, when he became the first man to hold the four Grand Slam titles at once since Rod Laver in 1969.

Djokovic at the Australian Open