The main draw action from the first tennis Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open, kicks off on Sunday 12th January. Hosted on the famous blue courts of Melbourne Park, the event is one of four major tennis tournaments played throughout the year.
The Australian Open, officially introduced in 1905, is considered the pinnacle of the sport alongside the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. With more than a million visitors expected to pour through the gates at Melbourne Park during the tournament, tennis fever grips not only the nation but also the entire world.
The Australian Open is the first major tournament from any sport to be hosted in the calendar year. Thanks to its timing, it doesn’t have to compete for attention against any other events happening at the same time. So, the spotlight that falls on the Australian Open is big, and the world’s best players will be descending on the event, attempting to be the first to grab major honours in 2025.
It’s not only the ends that are changing…
Roger Federer retired from tennis in 2022, the first of the modern legends to hang up his racquet. 2024 saw two more legends depart the game, with Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal both calling it a day on their careers. Seeing the men’s draw without such elite names is still bittersweet, but there is a positive in that things look far more competitive now.
After such a long period of Grand Slam dominance from Federer, Murray, Nadal and Novak Djokovic (who is still going strong), newer faces such as Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Casper Ruud have emerged on the scene. So, the landscapes of the men’s draw at the Australian Open, and also, in turn, the betting markets, have changed quite a bit in the last few years.
Next generation strikes a positive chord
Even though some of the sport’s modern greats have moved on, the field for the men’s draw at the 2025 Australian Open is still highly competitive and bursting with talent. Heading back to Melbourne Park as the reigning champion is Jannik Sinner, who has been a strong early favourite in 2025 Australian Open betting.
Sinner’s triumph at last year’s Australian Open was his first Grand Slam title, but he further boosted his status by ending the season in style and also collecting the US Open crown. Sinner has reached at least the quarter-finals in all but one of his last six Grand Slam campaigns, and his current dominance in the hard-court Slams naturally slots him into the position of front-runner.
Hot on his heels will be Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz, who is a four-time Grand Slam champion. However, those titles were spread across the other three majors, leaving his record at the Australian Open little to be desired. Alcaraz produced his best return at the Australian Open last year when he reached the quarter-finals. His wins in the French Open and Wimbledon last year indicate that his best shot at future Grand Slam success may come away from the hard courts, but he is still expected to be in the frame in Melbourne.
Novak Djokovic is the all-time leader in Australian Open title wins. The Serbian has racked up a staggering 10 titles at Melbourne Park throughout his brilliant career. Even now, at the age of 37, it’s hard to count him out. The tennis legend will be working with a new trainer, Andy Murray, for the first time at this year’s Australian Open.
Following the surprise appointment last year, the two have joined forces to try to propel Djokovic to that record-extending 11th Australian Open title. 2024, however, was Djokovic’s first year without a Grand Slam title since 2017. He reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open and the final of Wimbledon, but was unable to add to his tally of 24 career Grand Slam titles.
Outside of the big three at the head of the market for the 2025 Australian Open, there are other big names to keep an eye on, such as Alexander Zverev, who is still seeking his first career Grand Slam title. Daniil Medvedev should also be keenly watched. Medvedev has reached the final of the Australian Open in three of the last four editions, but has been unable to land the title. Given his consistent record in Melbourne, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him quietly make his way through the draw to the showcase match again.
Casper Ruud is still rising through the ranks of the game and is one of the hot prospects among the next generation of players. However, his best Grand Slam form so far has been on clay at the French Open, and he has struggled on the rest of the Grand Slam circuit. As for a home-grown Australian success? Those hopes will rest on the shoulders of Alex de Minaur, who gets a helping hand by being among the top eight seeds in this year’s draw.
The women’s competition is as strong as ever
Since Serena Williams claimed her last Australian Open title in 2017, the women’s Grand Slam scene at Melbourne Park has continued to be wide open and competitive. There have been six different winners in the last seven editions.
Aryna Sabalenka successfully defended her Australian Open crown last year, becoming the first woman to win back-to-back titles since her Belarusian compatriot Victoria Azarenka achieved the feat in 2013. Sabalenka is a strong contender for the title again but will feel Iga Świątek breathing down her neck.
Polish superstar Świątek has struggled to get to grips with the courts in Melbourne, her best finish there being a semi-final appearance in 2022. However, if she’s fit (she recently played down issues over a left thigh problem), no one will want to meet the 23-year-old in the draw.
America’s Coco Gauff will also be on the radar, along with the likes of last year’s surprise finalist Zheng Qinwen, Elena Rybakina and Daria Kasatkina.
The Brits will be hoping for a clean sweep in wheelchair events
With no Andy Murray around, British eyes will turn to the likes of outside shots Cameron Norrie, Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter in the singles draws. However, there is a genuine chance of British success in wheelchair events. The brilliant duo of Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid have won the last five editions of the Australian Open men’s wheelchair doubles.
The British duo have won six of the last seven Grand Slam wheelchair events around the world and will be the ones to beat at Melbourne Park in 2025. Hewett will also be one of the favourites for the wheelchair men’s singles, after losing last year’s showcase match to Tokito Oda. Oda is the favourite after winning two Grand Slams last year, and between him and Hewett, they have won the last seven Grand Slam tournaments, plus Masters and Paralympics titles.
Dominating the women’s wheelchair scene is reigning singles champion Diede de Groot, who also won the doubles last year with Dutch compatriot Jiske Griffioen.
Piecing together form
Because the Australian Open is so early in the year, form has to be considered from last autumn’s US Open onwards. Tournaments such as Beijing, Wuhan, and the WTA and ATP Finals all serve as something of a pre-season Grand Slam workout.
Best men’s form
The player with the best Tour-level winning percentage since the 2024 US Open at Flushing Meadows is Jannik Sinner, who has posted a fantastic 18-1 record for a 94.7% win percentage. This was similar to the form that Sinner carried into his title-winning run in Australia last year.
The next best two form players (at least 15 matches played) are Carlos Alcaraz and Denis Shapovalov. A couple of other players to note who have won more than 12 matches since the US Open are Karen Khachanov and Alexander Zverev.
Best women’s form
The woman with the most wins since the 2024 US Open is Rebecca Šramková, who is ranked just inside the top 50 in the world and reached three WTA finals in that spell. Zheng Qinwen has also had a great run of form since the last Slam, winning 15 matches, ahead of other current form players Coco Gauff and Britain’s Katie Boulter.
In terms of win percentage since the US Open from players with at least 10 matches played, Gauff leads the way at almost 87%, with Karolína Muchová and Zeynep Sönmez close behind.
Australian Open 2025 tennis betting at Tonybet
The Australian Open is a spectacular two weeks of tennis taking place in the Melbourne summer. From a pre-tournament selection on a player to go all the way to the title, to pre-match odds and in-play markets for every Grand Slam match, you can find extensive tennis betting odds at Tonybet. You can also catch the latest Australian Open prices and odds for the year’s other Slams and WTA and ATP Tour events.
Follow along with the Grand Slam fixtures at Tonybet!
