Australian Open: Men's Prediction, Tips and Odds

The wait for the first Grand Slam of the season, the Australian Open, is almost over and Racing Post's Aaron Ashley has picked out his two best bets in order to take on defending champion and short-priced favourite Jannik Sinner at Melbourne Park.

Sinner made his Grand Slam breakthrough in Australia last season, before adding the US Open title in September to finish the campaign as the world number one.

But fierce rival Carlos Alcaraz also claimed two Grand Slam titles, winning the French Open and Wimbledon, to confirm the changing of the guard in men’s tennis.

Novak Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion and a 10-time winner in Melbourne, will be hoping for one last hurrah.

However, the 37-year-old is clearly on the decline and the younger legs of Sinner and Alcaraz will fancy fending off his challenge.

World number two Alexander Zverev, still in search of his first Grand Slam title, and three-time runner-up Daniil Medvedev are two other contenders who will attempt to make their presence felt.

Australian Open men's betting tips and predictions

Carlos Alcaraz to win - 7/2

Sinner is a worthy favourite for his title defence, given there are few obvious title contenders and the fact he has also got the best of the draw, avoiding Alcaraz, Djokovic and Zverev until a potential final.

However, whether he merits being so short is open to question and in a potential title decider with Alcaraz he wouldn’t be much skinnier than he currently is to be crowned champion.

There is also the potential for off-court distractions to make an impact, with a major decision on his immediate future to be made following the conclusion of this tournament.

Even so, there are some early obstacles to his supremacy, with the talented Holger Rune, home favourite Alex de Minaur, big-serving American Taylor Fritz and three-time runner-up Medvedev all lying in his path.

So, Sinner looks short enough and the obvious alternative is Alcaraz, who was the only player last season that could get anywhere close to his level.

Alcaraz will be buoyed by the fact that he leads Sinner 6-4 in their personal series and he has won their last three encounters, making him more than a viable danger in what would be a mouthwatering final.

The Spaniard has plenty of work to be done before he can dream about the final and he has a poor record at the Australian Open to put behind him - he has made only one quarter-final in three previous trips.

But, despite being only 21 years of age, there is a reason Alcaraz has won four of the last eight Grand Slam titles and he did win the US Open in 2022, so these conditions should be absolutely fine.

Alcaraz should hold few concerns before a potential quarter-final showdown with Djokovic and he can outclass the Serb were they to meet.

Djokovic, seeded seventh, failed to win a Grand Slam last season for the first time since 2017, highlighting that his advancing years may be getting the better of him.

Not only that but Djokovic suffered a shock quarter-final exit to world number 171 Reilly Opelka in his warm-up event in Brisbane and that raises further concern.

So Alcaraz’s biggest obstacle before the final may stem from Zverev, although the world number two is under increasing pressure to make a belated Grand Slam breakthrough.

Taylor Fritz to win second quarter - 3/1

Fritz broke new ground last season by finishing runner-up to Sinner at the US Open and he could start 2025 with a deep run at the Australian Open.

The American has all the weapons needed to be a big hit on the ATP Tour and he made the quarter-final at Melbourne Park last season, suggesting he should be primed to hit the ground running again.

Medvedev would be Fritz’s biggest danger in the second quarter, but the Russian has had a tough preparation, arriving in Australia late due to the birth of his second child.

That means Medvedev could be a little ring-rusty and Fritz, who won their last meeting in straight sets, may be able to capitalise with a semi-final run.

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Australian Open men's odds

Jannik Sinner 6/5
Carlos Alcaraz 7/2
Novak Djokovic 9/2
Alexander Zverev 10/1
Daniil Medvedev 14/1
Taylor Fritz 28/1
Jack Draper 50/1
Alex de Minaur 50/1

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.