MELBOURNE — The year is 2020, a number that implies clarity and vision, if not foresight. But the first tennis major of this year has been shrouded in haze. First, the literal variety—all that gunk in the air, residue from the devastating bushfires. Now, mercifully, the vapor is of the figurative variety.
Serena Williams’s great quest for a 24th major remains hazy. Karolina Pliskova and Stefanos Tsitsipas remain works in progress. Naomi Osaka remains enigmatic. But just as fog lifts and skies brighten, Coco Gauff’s vast potential is fully in focus. As is Novak Djokovic’s ownership of this event.