Stock Watch for Top Men's Tennis Players Ahead of the 2015 Australian Open

The new year may be young, but success waits for no one. The first Grand Slam of the year starts on January 19, so an analysis of top players' stock in early 2015 seems timely.

Three of the following five players already have titles to their names heading into the Melbourne showpiece.

While Andy Murray capitalised on Novak Djokovic's illness in Abu Dhabi to lift the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, Stan Wawrinka took the more old-fashioned route to win by beating his opponent in Chennai.

Rafael Nadal has already suffered a shock defeat, but it seems churlish to start writing the retirement columns just yet.

The following slides will analyse the mood in the camps of five of last year's top players, including three Grand Slam winners from 2014.

Roger Federer

Tertius Pickard/Associated Press

Stock: Up

A landmark is never too far away when Roger Federer is in the vicinity. 

The Swiss has slotted into the new year as if winter down-time never happened, clinching the Brisbane International title against Milos Raonic on Sunday with his 1,000th career win.

He also saw off Grigor Dimitrov in the semis. The Bulgarian is one of the players who are touted to topple him over the next couple of years.

BBC 5Live's commentator David Law asked via Twitter whether Federer's supporters felt antagonised "when people compare Dimitrov to him."

It would be hard to imagine it's an issue that grinds Federer's gears, but the world No. 2 is unquestionably at a level that shows little sign of waning. 

Of course, he is heading to the end of his career, even if performances suggest otherwise. A sharp Dimitrov rise must be considered in that context if pundits want to compare the two. Perhaps fans should just appreciate Federer's genius while it's still on display.

Andy Murray

Kamran Jebreili/Associated Press

Stock: Up

Forget the title he won by default in Abu Dhabi. The fact that Andy Murray saw off a top-three player for the first time since Wimbledon 2013 means his confidence will be soaring.

Murray beat Rafa Nadal 6-2, 6-0 at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, earning a timely boost ahead of the first Slam of the season.

Novak Djokovic's withdrawal from the Mubadala final enabled Murray to claim a somewhat hollow victory. However, his grin for the cameras suggests it's a psychological boost all the same.

Murray also recorded wins against Benoit Paire, Jerzy Janowicz and Marinko Matosevic at the Hopman Cup.

Another positive sign for Murray's new-look camp, without Dani Vallverdu and Jez Green, came at the net against Matosevic. The Scot didn't meet an unforced error with the usual cry of frustration but with a cool, measured response. The signs are promising.

Stan Wawrinka

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

Stock: Up

Stan Wawrinka's arrival at the Australian Open could already prove to be an integral moment in the season.

The Swiss saw off an injury-stricken Rafa Nadal in the final last year. However, Johnette Howard wrote for ESPN.com that "it's going to take more than one Slam title win to declare a coup at the top."

Pressure, Stan?

While Howard is correct that Wawrinka's win in Melbourne last year must be followed up, failure to repeat his heroics of last year shouldn't automatically condemn his year to the scrap heap. There is plenty to play for beyond the first Slam. 

That being said, Wawrinka won the Chennai Open final, beating David Goffin in the semi-finals and Aljaz Bedene in the finals. He will arrive at the Australian Open, riding a wave of confidence that will take some curbing.

Novak Djokovic

Osama Faisal/Associated Press

Stock: Level

Despite defeat to ace specialist Ivo Karlovic in Doha, Novak Djokovic's stock stays level ahead of the first Slam of the year.

That isn't to force down those raised eyebrows that greeted the Croatian's 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 win in the Qatar Open. However, the world No. 1 was hardly blitzed by Karlovic. Even the best are allowed mortal moments.

There is no denying that it has been a stop-start beginning to 2015 for Djokovic. He pulled out of his Mubadala World Tennis Championship final against Andy Murray through illness—hardly the right preparation for a Slam.

Yet, even looking beneath the surface of the aforementioned hiccups, particularly the first, it is difficult to justifiably send Djokovic's stock toppling. He has suffered more austere times than these and remained the game's best player.

The Sydney Morning Herald cited, via AFP, Djokovic as saying that perhaps his illness was the result of off-court exertions, meaning he had to "slow down a little bit."

You can be sure there will be nothing sluggish about the seven-time Slam winner come his opening Australian Open match.

Rafael Nadal

Kamran Jebreili/Associated Press

Stock: Down

Starting the season with defeats to Andy Murray and Michael Berrer might be expected of a young hopeful stepping up from the Challengers. That Rafa Nadal endured these two losses is perhaps the season's early talking point; it moves his stock down slightly.

It almost seems a given that injury will keep Nadal company for the remainder of his career. The Spaniard alluded to the lack of rhythm that injuries have given him when explaining his Qatar Open defeat to Berrer.

It won't instill even the most ardent Nadal supporter with confidence. Yet, writing him off now would contradict everything we know about the man.

Nadal has fought back from adversity like few others currently on the tour. For instance, look at last year's Australian Open. After struggling through the final against Wawrinka with injury, he won his 14th Slam less than five months later.

Yes, it was on clay, his preferred surface, but that is not the norm for an ordinary tennis player. Dismiss him at your peril.