The biggest question, to some anyway, heading into the opening Slam of 2016 is probably how Novak Djokovic will celebrate his record sixth Australian Open title in a few Sundays time. The traditional kiss of the trophy? Ripping his shirt (as he has in the past in Melbourne) off like a superhero? For many, it's not a matter of if, but more when (in this case, January 31st) the all-conquering, runaway world no.1 will sweep to his 11th major title.
Even the most optimistic and die-hard fans of Djokovic's fellow members of the now infamous "Big Four", Messieurs Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal, will most likely tell you that the Serb will be lifting the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup on the Rod Laver Arena on the final day of the month, and that's without a ball even being hit yet. Well we should just give the trophy to Djokovic now shall we? His biggest rivals will somehow have to find a way of stopping that from happening then...
The Champion: Novak Djokovic (1)
Best Result: Champion (2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015)
2015 Result: Champion
To the overwhelming favourite himself. All the superlatives to describe the man have rightly all been used. There seems to be no let up from Djokovic after one of the greatest tennis, if not, sports seasons in history. Eleven titles, fifteen consecutive finals, taking his number of Grand Slam titles into double figures. There's no resting on his laurels, as proved by humbling Nadal in the final of his first tournament of the new year in Doha.
The quite frightening and fearful prospect for the rest is that Djokovic maybe getting even better. In that final in Qatar, Nadal didn't play too badly and yet he only won three games and had his serve broken four times.
We've become accustomed to astronomical levels from Djokovic, yet this was something else: unplayable, unstoppable, unbeatable. Very early days of course, but if the Serbian can somehow produce this near flawless tennis on a consistent basis, what chance do the rest have? Possibly, just possibly, we could be about to witness something unprecedented. In arguably the most competitive era of men's tennis, can Djokovic do the near impossible and go through an entire calendar year without being challenged? Good luck to the rest trying to wrestle that Australian Open crown away.
The Father to be: Andy Murray (2)
Best Result: Runner-Up (2010, 2011, 2013, 2015)
2015 Result: Runner-Up
The biggest threat to dominant Djokovic, based on the rankings anyway, is Murray. The Scot has had plenty of success Down Under, as he has pretty much elsewhere, but Melbourne has ultimately proved fruitless for the two time major winner, losing in the final on four occasions (to Federer in 2010 and Djokovic in 2011, 2013 and in last year's championship match). Should he finally get his hands on the opening Slam, he, like Djokovic, would be just a French Open away from the Career Grand Slam.
Djokovic, the majority would claim, should just leave the trophy at home on the mantelpiece and prepare for another twelve months of polishing and cleaning his prize, yet Murray is in a very happy place in his life right now, both on and off the court and that could help him produce tennis which he himself might never have played before and which, on his day, could be enough to get over the line against the man he played doubles with in Melbourne a decade ago.
Despite a slamless 2015, Murray won his first clay court titles of his career in Munich and Madrid, led Great Britain to their first Davis Cup in nearly 80 years (which resulted in him winning his second BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in three years), got married to long time partner Kim and the newlyweds are expecting their first child just after Melbourne.
Unsurprisingly, daddy duties would come first if baby Murray decides to arrive early; the world no.2 admitting he will pull out of the tournament, even if he gets to the final, if Kim goes into labour a few weeks before the due date, so that he can fly home for the birth. Djokovic is the man to beat, but the thought of his first newborn could spur Murray to a successful capture of a third Slam.
The popular great: Roger Federer (3)
Best Result: Champion (2004, 2006, 2007, 2010)
2015 Result: 3rd Round
He may well be in his mid-thirties, but there remains no signs that the great Roger Federer is dwindling as of yet. Still producing the world class tennis which has seen him at the top of the men's game for well over a decade, the Swiss superstar continues to challenge for major honours, although the wait for a record 18th Slam title has been put on hold since Wimbledon 2012; a change of coach (from Stefan Edberg to Ivan Ljubicic) could be the difference for Federer.
His best chance, one would think, of landing that 18th major would again be the green grass of SW19, having reached the final in the past two years (losing to Djokovic in both), whilst Olympic Singles Gold in Rio, one of the very few titles in which Federer has yet to claim in his career, will probably be the year's other big aim. Despite his astonishing 11 year run (where he won the title four times) of at least reaching the semis in Melbourne coming to a surprise end by Andreas Seppi in the 3rd round last year, another hard court Slam title should also not be ruled out.
Federer reached his first hard court Slam final since his, so far, fourth and final Australian Open title in 2010, at last year's US Open (where he lost, you guessed it, against Djokovic). Let's not forget as well that the Swiss was the only man to beat Djokovic on more than one occasion in the Serb's record breaking 2015; three times and all on hard courts (the Dubai and Cincinnati finals and in the round robin of the World Tour Finals). Yet when it really mattered, in New York and the Tour Finals final itself, Djokovic got the job done under the most intense of pressure. A contender? Yes. Winner? Probably not.
The thorn in the side: Stan Wawrinka (4)
Best Result: Champion (2014)
2015 Result: Semi-Finals
In the last couple of years, the "Big Four" has found itself gatecrashed by a fifth member in the form of Stan Wawrinka, who has emerged from the shadows of fellow countryman Federer and is now one of the forces of the men's game. His late twenties (now early thirties) have seen Stan the Man reach the peak of his powers and breakout as a Slam champion, with Melbourne holding fond memories for the world no.4 where he finally landed the big prize a couple of years ago, when it seemed his true potential was never going to be fulfilled.
Yet there were signs the year before, in 2013, that Wawrinka was becoming a household name and during these last three seasons, the long time (and current) Swiss no.2 has seemingly become the big thorn in Djokovic's side. The two have contested five set epics in each of the last three years Down Under; Djokovic winning in 2013 and 2015, Wawrinka in 2014. That's not to forget another five set classic in New York in 2013 and their most famous meeting at Roland Garros last year, when Wawrinka played the match of his life to hand Djokovic his only Slam loss of 2015.
Wawrinka, on his day, thrives when playing the best and has become the one who has the power and placement to cause Djokovic the biggest problems and take the 10 time major winner right to the very edge. He heads to Melbourne off the back of a third consecutive Chennai title and at the venue where he could finally put his name amongst the champions which had come before him, a third major crown may not be beyond the realms of possibility.
The Spaniard on the comeback trail: Rafa Nadal (5)
Best Result: Champion (2009)
2015 Result: Quarter-Finals
Last year proved to be Rafa Nadal's first season in a decade that he failed to get his hands on a major title; he didn't even reach a semi-final. Early exits at Wimbledon and the US Open, plus just his second ever defeat at Roland Garros, meant Melbourne was, probably to him anyway, his best performance at a major in 2015. Recovering from his well-known injuries and surprise losses meant Nadal was alarmingly inconsistent. Yet there were signs at the back end of last year and the start of this, that Nadal could well be on his way back to the very top.
As mentioned earlier, Nadal was trounced by Djokovic in the Doha final, but the Spaniard wasn't as bad as the 6-1, 6-2 score line suggested. His consistency, however, has started to return and the King of Clay has been going deep into tournaments post US Open (last September) onwards: winner at the Abu Dhabi exhibition (where he played as if it was a competitive event), finalist at the China Open, Swiss Indoors and Qatar Open, semi-finalist at the Shanghai Masters and World Tour Finals.
The rhythm is starting to come back, yet the key is to remain fit and healthy, getting plenty of matches under his belt. The problem Nadal has is coming up against the four guys ahead of him in the rankings. His game isn't quite back to where it once was to threaten for a second title in Melbourne (his least successful of the four slams) one would assume, although his recent run of good form should see Nadal go far at the very least.
The Rest:
Outside of the "Big Five" (or should that be Djokovic and the Other Four?), Milos Raonic is most people's dark horse. The Canadian, blighted by a troublesome foot injury in 2015, has started the new year extremely well, beating Federer to the Brisbane title and if he can carry through that form, he may just surprise a few here. The charge of this next generation, starting to challenge the big boys on a regular basis, hasn't yet materialised, with Kei Nishikori another name who was, to many, destined for the very top. Whilst now a big name in the men's game and having reached his first major final at Flushing Meadows in 2014, the Japanese star disappointingly failed to kick on last year and will be hoping to do so this season.
Tomas Berdych and David Ferrer, arguably two of, if not, the two greatest men's players never to have won a Slam, continue to be a model of consistency, although despite constantly reaching quarter-finals and beyond, these two thirty somethings still can't find a way to beat the top dogs when it matters most. Home hopes will undoubtedly lie on the shoulders of controversial but hugely talented Nick Kyrgios. Whether you love him or hate him, he reached the last-eight on home soil twelve months ago and will be buoyed by his recent Hopman Cup success, and can provide a match if he keeps his head down and focus on his tennis.