Australian Open 2012 Predictions: Why Rafael Nadal Will Surpass Novak Djokovic

2011 was the year of Novak Djokovic, but now it’s time for the universe to realign back to normal

The run Djokovic went on was insane. It started with 41 straight wins and finished with three Grand Slams. The Djokster enters 2012 with the No .1 world ranking and a big bulls eye on his back.

One of the main reasons for his dominance was the nagging health issues of former No. 1 Rafael Nadal.

The Spaniard was dealing with a painful foot injury for almost the entire year. It really wore him down in the second week of tournaments, especially the highly competitive Grand Slams. Nadal lost to Djokovic in the finals of Wimbledon and the US Open.

Now it’s a new year and Nadal has a clean bill of health for his legs, but is dealing with a minor shoulder injury. No worries though, Nadal claims he is “perfectly fine”.

Nadal has a new racket that has provided him with a better burst when the ball strikes and it should help him on his returns.  That will be a factor against Djokovic’s deadly serve.

But more than anything else for the ’09 Aussie Open winner, it is about a renewed passion for the game. The 25-year-old admitted to losing a desire for the game last year and his lack of focus and energy resulted in a subpar season by the former No. 1’s standards. Winning only one Grand Slam is a failure for a player with the talents of Raffa.

When he led Spain to the Davis Cup title in December, the passion had returned. He remembered why he loved tennis in the first place. The energy was back.

He got the kick in the butt he needed with Djokovic’s domination and you can expect a rejuvenated Nadal down under.

With Djokovic new to entering the season as the giant everyone is trying to beat, expect Nadal to regain his 2009 form and slay Djokovic with his rededication to the game.

Nadal is the player to beat at the Australian Open.