UPDATED 11th January 2024
As the First Round matches for the Australian Open 2024 are announced, let’s take a look at some of the bigger games to watch and who the market leaders are due to face.
With the different draws having been set, here is what we know so far.
In the Men’s Singles, Djokovic, Alcaraz, Medvedev, Tsitsipas and Murray have all learnt their draws, with the Brit likely to face the hardest challenge ahead.
Novak Djokovic (Ranked 1st) vs Dino Prižmić (Ranked 155th). While the young 18yr old was rated the World’s best U18 tennis player last year, his inexperience against the world number one may not be enough to present a strong challenge.
Carlos Alcaraz (Ranked 2nd) vs Richard Gasquet (Ranked 131st). The Spaniard shouldn’t have any trouble with this match against an opponent who’s Auckland title last year was his first in nearly 5 years.
Daniil Medvedev (Ranked 3rd) vs Térence Atmane (Ranked 132nd). An Australian Open finalist in 2021 and 2022, Medvedev should have no trouble taking on the Frenchman with little ATP experience to his name.
Stefanos Tsitsipas (Ranked 7th) vs Matteo Berrettini (Ranked 124th). A substantial difference between the two players, Tsitsipas should be the clear favourite to win.
Sir Andy Murray (Ranked 44th) vs Tomás Martín Etcheverry (Ranked 32nd). The toughest of the big three men’s draws so far, Murray will have his work cut out to beat Etcheverry on Sunday and this has seen his Australian Open 2024 betting odds extended to 250/1.
In the Women’s Singles, let’s take a look at Sabalenka, Swiatek, Rybakina, Gauff, Osaka and Raducanu, who have all now been partnered up.
Aryna Sabalenka (Ranked 2nd) vs Ella Seidel (Ranked 172nd). The defending champion shouldn’t have too much to worry about here against an 18 year old with little match experience to her name.
Iga Swiatek (Ranked 1st) vs Sofia Kenin (Ranked 38th). The world number one has a tough challenge against an opponent who used to be ranked 4th back in 2020, but should emerge victorious here.
Elena Rybakina (Ranked 3rd) vs Karolina Plíšková (Ranked 37th). Facing off against a former Number 1 from 2017, Rybakina can draw comfort that Plíšková’s most recent two tournaments consisted of back-to-back first round defeats.
Coco Gauff (Ranked 4th) vs Anna Karolina Schmiedlová (Ranked 67th). Gauff should feel confident going into this game, against an opponent who has lost more matches than she has won in the last few years.
Naomi Osaka (Ranked 833rd) vs Caroline Garcia (Ranked 20th). A tough return to tennis for Osaka who faces off against Garcia, but can take comfort in the fact that her opponents successes have been largely in doubles recently than singles.
Raducanu (Ranked 299th) vs S Rogers (Ranked 156th). While both women will have to dig deep, Rogers has never won a title nor passed a Quarter Final. Despite a poor run of form for Emma in the last few years, her US Open title shows she has the capacity to win if she digs deep.
It’s day two of qualifying at the Australian Open and the first time we’ve seen a 15-day event, largely in part due to games taking longer, thus allowing players a little more respite. What that means however, is that fans and bettors alike, can enjoy the first round action over three days rather than the usual two, so there’s plenty of time to get your bets down if you choose to check out our amazing Australian Open odds. But before we get stuck into predictions and matches, who are the big names that everyone is waiting to see?
For those who were looking forwards to seeing legend Roger Federer at this years tournament, his retirement last year and subsequent decision not to accept the invitation to this event means he will not be present. Perhaps the bigger shock was Rafael Nadal, who announced his absence after his medical his medical timeout on 5th January turned out to be a micro-tear, one that he has flown back to Spain to recover from. To confirm, Federer and Nadal will not feature at the Australia Open 2024. However, there will be plenty of big names who will undoubtedly tantalise the audience with their spectacular displays of tennis over the next few weeks. Defending champion and World Number 1, Novak Djokovic, will be looking to defend his title on the 28th January, should he make it to the final, while Number 2 – Carlos Alcaraz and Number 3- Daniil Medvedev will both be looking to upset the status quo. Other key names including World Number 6 and 2023 runner-up, Stefanos Tsitsipas, will be there, alongside Brits Cameron Norrie, Daniel Evans and, of course, Sir Andy Murray.
On the women’s front, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will be looking to do the double, but faces stiff competition from World Number 1 Iga Swiatek, second seeded Coco Gauff who won the US open in Sep 2023 and Australia open runner-up, Elena Rybakina, who won Wimbledon in 2022. Other major names include Japan’s Naomi Osaka who returns after giving birth last year, alongside British 2021 US Open champ Emma Raducanu, who was ruled out for the last eight months with several injuries and surgeries.
BetVictor Prediction:
Although it’s stilly early days, a quick glance at the BetVictor odds for the Men’s Singles at the time of writing, tell a very similar story to the above. Leading the pack at 11/10, meaning a £10 bet would pay £21, is Djokovic. In second is Alcaraz at odds of 3/1, with a £10 wager returning £40 if correct. In third is Sinner at 6/1 odds, where a £10 bet pays £70, whilst fourth is Medvedev at 8/1 so the same £10 returns £90 if correct. Runner-up Tsitsipas is a longer shot at 35/1, so a £10 wager could pay out £360, whilst Murray is a huge outsider at 150/1, meaning a £10 bet would pay £1510 if it came true.
When it comes to the Women’s Singles, at the time of writing, it’s the who’s who of the ATP rankings, with Swiatek in pole position at 9/4, where a £10 bet would pay £32.50. Second is Sabalenka at odds of 9/2, giving a £10 wager a return of £55, whilst close on her heels in third is Rybakina at 11/2, where a £10 bet pays £65 if correct. Coming in at fourth is Gauff at 7/1 odds, so a £10 wager would return £80. Osaka, while ranked 833, comes in at 14/1 with a £150 payout on a £10 bet, whilst Raducanu, who ranks higher at 299, is a longshot at 50/1 where a £10 wager would return £510.
Whatever happens at Melbourne Park, the atmosphere is sure to be electric and the extra day of first rounds, like we said above, gives punters plenty of chance to think about who they think could edge the tournament in the end. Stay tuned for more updates on the Open, or why not check out all of our Australian Open 2024 odds and get stuck in for yourself.
