The 35-year-old Serb, who is unvaccinated against COVID-19, was eventually deported from Australia after being held for several days in an immigration detention hotel after infringing visa regulations.

A year on, he is seeking to extend his record of winning the season-opening Grand Slam title nine times and has demonstrated his promising form by winning an Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) title in Adelaide.

Djokovic, who was warmly received by the Adelaide crowd, has only lost once in his last 25 matches.

Meanwhile Spanish teenager and world number one Carlos Alcaraz has had to pull out of the event with a knee injury.

Nadal, 36, who won his 21st Grand Slam in Australia last year in Djokovic's absence, is top seed but after being plagued by an abdominal injury during the second half of last season, the Spaniard is still not in ideal form and will have a challenging opening match against Britain's newcomer Jack Draper, who grew up idolising him.

Norway's second seed Casper Ruud, finalist at last year's French and US Open tournaments, will be one to watch, as will Greece's third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is still looking for his first Grand Slam win and has a good record at the Australian Open.

Australia's Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios will be the focus for home fans while Russia's Daniil Medvedev - who lost the 2022 final after a recovery by Nadal - is seeking his best form.

Also look out for Danish teenager Holger Rune, who was the last man to beat Djokovic- seeded fifth after a limited playing programme this year - in winning the Paris Masters title.

With Australia's Ash Barty having shocked the tennis world by announcing her retirement in March last year, shortly after adding the Australian Open title to the Wimbledon title she had won in 2021, the mantle of women's world number one passed to Poland's then 20-year-old Iga Świątek.

The Pole reached the Australian Open semi-finals last year, a year in which she also won a second French Open and a first US Open.

Despite pulling out of the Adelaide tournament citing a shoulder problem, Świątek is top seed at Melbourne Park, with second seeding being held by the Tunisian player whom she beat in an absorbing US final, Ons Jabeur.

Third seed Jessica Pegula of the United States was the last player to defeat Świątek.

Britain's 20-year-old Emma Raducanu, who made her name in 2021 by becoming the first singles qualifier to win the US Open - and without losing a set - appears to have recovered from the ankle injury she suffered in her second match of the year.

Meanwhile, Australia's US Open women's singles champion and seven-time doubles Grand Slam winner Sam Stosur is to end her career at the age of 38 after playing one more time at her home event.