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| - Rafael Nadal's bid for a record 21st Grand Slam title has been overshadowed by fitness concerns as he begins his Australian Open campaign on Tuesday. The 34-year-old Spaniard will play his first match of the year against 56th-ranked Laslo Djere after back trouble ruled him out of last week's ATP Cup. Nadal is not the only player troubled by injury after the coronavirus-hit build-up to the year's first Grand Slam, in which players underwent two weeks' quarantine in Australia. Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams and Simona Halep, who all carried injury worries into their opening matches, safely reached the second round on Monday. But Nadal raised the alarm on Sunday when he said he'd been "suffering" with the injury for more than two weeks. "The muscle is still tight, so it is difficult to play with freedom of movement," the second seed told reporters. "We are doing everything. My physio is here, the doctors here, everybody is helping me in all possible ways. I hope to be ready, that's all. I know sometimes things change quick." Nadal, currently tied with the absent Roger Federer on 20 Grand Slam titles, is attempting to take sole ownership of the all-time record. He is also looking to widen the gap from eight-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, who has 17 major titles and won his opening match late on Monday. Defeat on Tuesday would constitute an Australian Open low for Nadal, the 2009 champion, who has never lost in Melbourne to a player ranked as low as Serbia's Djere, the world number 56. Women's world number one Ashleigh Barty is also in action on Tuesday as she aims to become the first Australian women's champion since Chris O'Neil in 1978. Barty, fresh from winning the Yarra Valley Classic final against Garbine Muguruza on Sunday, plays Montenegro's Danka Kovinic in the first evening match on Rod Laver Arena. "There's no extra pressure for me, that's for sure," Barty said. "It's the same whether it's a Grand Slam or a tour event. I love playing in Australia." American defending champion Sofia Kenin, who stunned Muguruza in last year's women's final, opens the day's play on the centre court against home hope Maddison Inglis. "Mentally, I got to handle my emotions and understand whoever I'm going to play, they're obviously going to play with no pressure, which is expected," said Kenin, who was in tears after her defeat by Muguruza in the Yarra Valley Classic quarter-finals. Spain's Muguruza is in action against Margarita Gasparyan of Russia and Victoria Azarenka, the two-time winner from Belarus, plays Jessica Pegula of the United States. Coco Gauff, the 16-year-old rising American star who beat Venus Williams and Naomi Osaka in Melbourne last year, opens her campaign against Switzerland's Jil Teichmann. Among the men's contenders, fourth seed Daniil Medvedev plays Vasek Pospisil of Canada, and fifth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas faces France's Gilles Simon. Andrey Rublev, who alongside Medvedev fired Russia to ATP Cup victory on Sunday, is up against Yannick Hanfmann. bur/th/jfx
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