Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus during a press conference ahead of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne [Source: AAP Image/Joel Carrett]

Belarus powerhouse Aryna Sabalenka takes her first steps towards rare air when the Australian Open starts today.

Sabalenka begins her quest for a third consecutive title at a tournament in Melbourne boasting sub-plots aplenty.

Five Australians play singles matches on the opening day – Aleksandar Vukic, Adam Walton, Li Tu, Omar Jasika and Daria Saville.

The contingent step out ahead of Sabalenka’s first-round match on Sunday against former US Open champion Sloane Stephens.

If Sabalenka again collects the trophy, she will join greats Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Monica Seles, Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis as consecutive three-time winners in Melbourne.

“I know that I have the possibility of joining legends by winning three times in a row … I don’t want to over-think about that, I just want to do my job,” Sabalenka said.

In the men’s draw, Novak Djokovic hopes to wind back the clock and become the first tennis player to win 25 major singles titles.

Djokovic, chasing a record-extending 11th title in Melbourne, and Australian legend Court have both won 24 majors.

And Djokovic has turned to an unlikely coaching source for an edge: ex-rival Andy Murray.

“He was always one of my greatest rivals, we were always kind of hiding things from each other,” Djokovic said.

“Now, all cards are open on the table.”

Another triumph and the 37-year-old Djokovic will become only the third man to win 100 tour-level titles – Jimmy Connors won 109, Roger Federer 103.

But the Serb megastar enters as seventh seed, a sign of the winds of change sweeping through the upper echelon.

World No.1 Jannik Sinner and Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz split the majors between them last year, winning two each.

Sinner, 23, returns to Melbourne as defending champion and under a drugs cloud: last year he twice tested positive for trace amounts of an anabolic steroid.

The Italian blamed it on being exposed to a banned substance via a massage from his trainer and was exonerated, but a World Anti-Doping Agency appeal will be heard in mid-April.

“I haven’t done anything wrong. That is why I am still here,” Sinner said ahead of a tournament where Alex de Minaur will again carry local hopes.

World No.8 de Minaur will enter his “bubble” to shut out the hype of potentially becoming the first Australian man to win the Open since Mark Edmondson in 1976.

“Over the years, of course there’s a little bit more chatter or more hype behind me,” he said.

“There’s always going to be a lot of outside noise but I’m very fortunate that I have a great team around me, we can focus on our own little bubble.”

Alexei Popyrin looms as Australia’s other sneaky chance of producing a deep run, though Nick Kyrgios’ comeback will dominate on Monday.

At his first grand slam since the 2022 US Open, Kyrgios withdrew from an exhibition match with Djokovic last Thursday night because of an abdominal strain.