The Australian Open tournament will start on Tuesday, 14 January and there is speculation that the first tennis Major of 2020 will produce a historic eighth Men’s Singles title for Serbian superstar Novak Djokovic.
The 32-year-old is currently World Number 2 in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings and he is on the hunt for four more Grand Slam titles to equal the exceptional record of 20 held by Roger Federer. Bookmakers William Hill offers odds of 11/8 that Djokovic will win the Australian Open, making him favourite to win. And with his track record in Melbourne – wins in 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015,2016 and 2019 – it would be hard to disagree with this assessment.
Rafa Nadal, World Number 1, is the second favourite to win with odds of 9/2 on offer from bookie Ladbrokes. The 33-year-old Spaniard has not enjoyed stellar success in Melbourne, however, having won only one title way back in 2009 but he has been runner-up four times, most recently last year when he lost to Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.
Roger Federer may also give Djokovic a run for his money. The 38-year-old Swiss veteran has won six Men’s Singles titles in Melbourne, most recently in 2018 and the World Number 3 cannot be discounted as he is a real contender this time round.
But there are two young whippersnappers who are eager for their first Australian Open titles and present tangible threats to the established trio of Djokovic, Nadal and Federer. Bookmaker Coral offers odds of 8/1 that 23-year-old Russian star Daniil Medvedev will lift the trophy. The youngest player in the top 10 of the ATP rankings, is also threatening a break-through. Stefanos Tsitsipas, at only 21 years of age, is tipped for Australian Open glory with bookmaker Bet365 who offer odds of 12/1 that the Greek will be the next Australian Open champion.
