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Founded in 1905, the Australian Open is one of the oldest and most prestigious tournaments in the world.
The tournament is the first Grand Slam tennis event of the year and this year’s Australian Open betting odds suggest the current world number one, Novak Djokovic, is the favourite to win it for the seventh time.
The Serbian is the favourite for the tournament, but there are a couple of other competitors who also have their eye on the trophy.
Novak Djokovic
As mentioned earlier, world number one Novak Djokvic is the current favourite amongst the bookies to win the Australian Open. Since starting his professional career in 2003, Djokovic has experienced the most success in the Australian Open, winning the Grand Slam tournament six times, with his most recent win coming in 2016.
Since his victory in 2016, the Serbian has unperformed in Australia, being knocked out in the 2nd Round and 4th Round in 2017 and 2018 respectively.
His performances in the Australian Open in the past couple of years might not inspire much confidence in those who are looking to place a bet on him, but he has won the previous two Grand Slam tournaments available and will be looking to make it three in a row
Roger Federer
Every year it seems like Roger Federer is being written off by the pundits, yet he keeps proving them wrong. At the end of 2016, it seemed like the predictions of Federer’s downfall had finally come true. The Swiss man had only won two Grand Slam titles since the start of the decade, with his last title coming in 2012.
However,2017 seemed to be a ‘revival’ year for Federer as he managed to win two Grand Slam titles – the Australian Open and Wimbledon. The Australian Open win was the first time in five years he had won a Grand Slam, and the first time in seven years that he won the Australian Open. His victory against Rafael Nadal meant he was the oldest man to win a Grand Slam singles title since 1972.
Federer managed to regain his title last year with victory against Marin Čilić and will be hoping to make it three in a row in January after going on a good run of form at the end of
Rafael Nadal
Like Federer, Rafael Nadal has also been written off multiple times in his career,primarily due to his injury record. His aggressive and physical style has meant injuries have been a regular occurrence throughout his career. As a result, his longevity in the sport has been questioned.
Despite this, Nadal has maintained a respectable Grand Slam record throughout his career with 17 Grand Slam titles to his name. His most recent tournament win came earlier this year when he won the French Open.
Although he is regarded as one of the best tennis players in the world, Nadal has an abysmal record in the Australian Open, only winning it once in thirteen attempts. His sole win came back in 2009, but he had reached three finals since then. Compared to Djokovic and Federer, it seems like a Nadal win is unlikely.However, his two consecutive semi-final finishes at Wimbledon and the US Open could give him a boost in Australia.
