Australian Open
Australian Open Preview: Djokovic odds on for 22nd Grand Slam win
The Australian Open is the first Grand Slam of the year and arguably the most popular tournament in the tennis world. Nicknamed the ‘Happy Slam’, it is sure to wow the masses of fans travelling through its sunny doors in more ways than one.
We look at the likely winners of the two-week major below.
Djokovic on course to match Nadal’s record
Having an average previous season wouldn’t make most players the favourite for the first Grand Slam of the year, but most players aren’t Novak Djokovic and an average season for him still eclipses virtually every other player on the tour.
Novak Djokovic took five ATP titles over the course of 2022, including the Nitto ATP Finals and Wimbledon, and though he has inevitably lost some of the powers he had during his peak, he is still easily the best or second-best player in the world at the moment.
Showing on numerous occasions that he can be unbeatable, it is no surprise that the second most successful tennis player ever, is the favourite to start the year with a bang and triumph in Australia. The Serbian is 8/11 to progress to the end of the tournament and win the final, where he will likely come up against his arch-rival of recent years, Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic had a rocky start to 2022 when arriving in Australia for this very tournament, where he was one of the favourites. Upon landing in the country, he was held and deported due to his Covid-19 vaccination stance. It is thought by many that the sour feeling left between the two parties is likely to spur the nine-time champion onward in an act of revenge that could inspire his highest and most unconquerable level of tennis.
Could we see the unbeatable Serb claim his 10th Australian Open title and match Rafael Nadal’s all-time Grand Slam record of 22?
Rafael Nadal to tear up the script?
If there is one man that has the ability to hold off the favourite, it is the all-time Grand Slam victories record holder and two-time Australian Open winner, Rafael Nadal.
The Spaniard is the third favourite to win at 12/1 and comes in significantly behind his rival in the betting, likely due to his injury problems over 2022. Despite his difficulties which saw him withdraw from the Wimbledon semi-final with an abdomen injury, Nadal had arguably the best 2022 of any men’s tennis player, winning both the Australian and French Open and looking like the physically unstoppable and almost invincible version of himself.
The one factor that does work against him is his lack of wins at the Australian Open when compared to Novak Djokovic, who was won the tournament nine times. Only winning the trophy in Australia twice, Nadal has always found it hard to replicate his incredible form on clay, where has won 14 major titles, to hardcourt, the surface on which Djokovic thrives.
Or could there be a surprise package?
Though the two greats and second favourite Daniil Medvedev are the three most likely to win here, with Medvedev priced at 11/2, there is a number of other names that will have realistic beliefs that they can go on to win.
With Carlos Alcaraz, who would be the number one seed and is the current world number one, having withdrawn through injury, players like Australian Nick Kyrgios, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Jannik Sinner will all be playing for the win after impressing in 2022 and aiming to start the season in the best way possible. They are 12/1, 14/1, and 16/1, respectively, to win on the sun-soaked hardcourt, conditions that will favour them all, with the latter two both raised in the Mediterranean sun of Greece and Italy, respectively.
There is also hope for emerging young talent Holger Rune, who is 16/1 and a though longer shot at 50/1, British number one, Cameron Norrie. Norrie made the Wimbledon semi-final in 2022, defying expectations, and surprisingly played exceptionally well against the eventual victor Djokovic, when taking the first set of that four-set encounter. He’ll be looking for a strong start to 2023 and to at least better his best Australian Open finish, which came in 2021 when he reached the third round.
