The first Grand Slam the decade gets underway in Melbourne as the world’s elite tennis players converge on the South Australian city to do battle in the soaring heat. Here are our Australian Open 2020 betting tips.
Tournament History
The Australian Open has been an event on the tennis calendar for 114 years and it is now the largest annual sporting event held on the Southern Hemisphere. The 2019 edition of the tournament saw over 770,000 spectators attend the event – making it the largest attended tennis competition on the planet. With over A$71 million distributed as part of the Australian Open prize pot, it is one of the most lucrative tennis tournaments in both the male and female game.
Format
The Australian Open adopts the same format as Wimbledon, the French Open and the US Open. Once the qualifying rounds are completed, 128 players make up both the male and female main draws – with matches taking place over a 2 week period.
Venue
Melbourne Park has been the home of the Australian Open since 1988 – having moved from the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club. Originally, the event was held on the grass courts at Kooyong but the move to Melbourne saw the tournament take place on hard courts.
Dates
Monday 20th January 2020 – Sunday 2nd February 2020.
Previous Winners (Men’s)
As the youngest of the 4 Grand Slams (it became a slam in 1969) the roll call of Australian Open champions is broken down in to pre and post-Grand Slam eras. Roy Emerson was a six-time champion in the 1960s as the Australian produced a potent brand of tennis. The subsequent record holder is a man that should feature heavily this year: Novak Djokovic. The Serb is the defending champion in Melbourne and he has won the event 7 times with old foe Roger Federer hot on his heels with 6 Australian Open titles to his name.
Previous Winners (Women’s)
Margaret Smith Court was a player so synonymous with success at the Australian Open that there is a stadium named after her at Melbourne Park. She spanned the eras, winning in both the pre and post-Grand Slam years and won the tournament a remarkable 11 times. Serena Williams has won the Australian Open on 7 occasions and is looking for her first win in Melbourne since 2017 Other notable names on the list include Steffi Graf and Monica Seles who dominated the event in the late 1980s and early 1990s and won the tournament 4 times each.
2020 Tournament Preview
Men’s:
Defending champion and 7-time winner Novak Djokovic picked up another 2 Grand Slams in 2019 and looks to be the man to beat in Melbourne once more. World number one Rafael Nadal hasn’t won the Australian Open since 2009 and looks well set to challenge once more whilst Roger Federer and is always a threat. The next generation is still looking to make an impact on the ATP Tour and the likes Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas will all be looking to start 2020 in style in Melbourne.
Women’s:
Defending Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka failed to kick on in 2019 after her Melbourne triumph but she will be eager to start the year off well here. Serena Williams didn’t manage to win a Grand Slam last year but is always in the mix whilst the likes of French Open champion and home favourite Ashleigh Barty, Wimbledon winner Simona Halep and US Open winner Bianca Andreescu are sure to be in contention. Karolina Pliskova and Elina Svitolina both enjoyed impressive seasons in 2019 but are still awaiting their first Grand Slam triumphs and they will be looking to open their respective accounts at the Australian Open.
2020 Australian Open Tournament Preview
Men’s Outright Winner Odds:-
The first Grand Slam of the year in Melbourne is always a highlight of the tennis-playing calendar and this year looks to be no different. It promises to be a fascinating battle down under to see which player will kick off the season in style with a Grand Slam title to their name.
Here are some of our favourites for the Australian Open title:-
Novak Djokovic – 13/8 (Bet365) – Defending champion Novak Djokovic was the man to beat at all hard court events in 2019 and his display at the Australian Open will go down in folklore. The Serb has won the event on 7 occasions and he looked in fine form at the recent ATP Cup in Sydney and he will take some stopping in Melbourne again this year.
Rafael Nadal – 7/2 (Ladbrokes) – World number one Rafael Nadal enjoyed an excellent season in 2019, picking up two Grand Slams and climbing to the top of the world rankings. The hard courts in Melbourne are his least favourite surface with the Mallorcan only picking up one Grand Slam here – back in 2009 and he will be looking to put that right in 2020.
Roger Federer – 9/1 (888sport) – The six-time Australian Open champion will be looking to spring yet another surprise in Melbourne in 2020. The Swiss supremo didn’t manage to get over the line in any of the Grand Slams in 2019 but he is still one of the biggest forces on the tour and if he has had a good offseason, he could come back all guns blazing this year.
Daniil Medvedev – 10/1 (Betfred) – 2019 was a breakthrough season for Daniil Medvedev who reached the final of the US Open and climbed to number three in the world rankings. The Russian has become one of the major players on the ATP Tour and he will fancy his chances a surface well suited to his game in Melbourne.
Stefanos Tsitsipas – 12/1 (888sport) – The young Greek enjoyed his first taste of the big time at last year’s Australian Open and he too has emerged as a major player on the world scene since. He won the ATP World Tour Finals in London at the end of the year and he looks to be a serious contender in Melbourne in 2020.
Dominic Thiem – 16/1 (Ladbrokes) – Two-time French Open runner up Dominic Thiem is another player that is looking to break his Grand Slam duck. His all-round game improved dramatically in 2019 and his tournament win in Indian Wells was testament to his progression on hard courts and he should not be discarded at 16/1 here.
Alexander Zverev – 20/1 (Betsafe) – ATP World Tour finalist, Alexander Zverev has long been the next big hope for tennis and it is easy to forget he is only 22 years old. Previously, he has had a tendency to struggle at Grand Slams and he will be hoping to put that behind him here in Melbourne and hit the ground running in an event which should suit him.
Top Pick – Novak Djokovic – 13/8 (Bet365)
Outside Pick – Daniil Medvedev – 10/1 (Betfred)
Women’s Outright Winner Odds:-
With four different winners of the Grand Slam events in the women’s game once again in 2019, it promises to be yet another difficult year of tennis to call on the WTA Tour. The blend of usual suspects and emerging talents make it a fascinating fortnight in prospect in Melbourne.
Here are some of our favourites for the Australian Open title:-
Serena Williams – 11/2 (Bet365) – As always, Serena Williams is the woman to beat at Grand Slam events and her seven titles here at Melbourne Park speak for themselves. She picked up her last title here back in 2017 and she will be eager to add to her tally this year – having won the Auckland Classic earlier this month.
Ashleigh Barty – 8/1 (Ladbrokes) – 2019 French Open Champion and home favourite Ashleigh Barty will have the whole nation behind her this year in Melbourne. Last year was a breakthrough season for the talented Australian and she will relish the opportunity to play her home Grand Slam and looks good value for the title.
Naomi Osaka – 9/1 (Betfred) – Defending Champion Naomi Osaka saw her form fade somewhat towards the end of 2019 but her overall game will be feared throughout the draw in Melbourne this year. She may relish going under the radar somewhat with Williams and Barty taking up much of the press coverage and she could go well again in Melbourne this year.
Simona Halep– 10/1 (Betfred) – Wimbledon Champion Simona Halep enjoyed an incredible 2019 and her tally of 2 Grand Slams looks very much there to be added to this season. The Romanian looks to have overcome her occasional mental struggles on the big stage and she could return fit and firing following the offseason here in Australia.
Karolina Pliskova – 14/1 (888sport) – Czech superstar Karolina Pliskova enjoyed a spell at the top of the world rankings in 2018 and 2019 but is yet to get over the line in a Grand Slam final. Her game looks well suited to the conditions in Melbourne and she will be relishing the opportunity to showcase her talents once more in 2020.
Elina Svitolina – 16/1 (William Hill) – The Ukrainian hotshot Elina Svitolina will arrive in Melbourne full of confidence following her tournament win at the WTA World Tour Finals in Singapore at the end of 2019 and her run to the last 4 at Wimbledon last year was an indicator that she can mix it with the very best on the biggest stages.
Belinda Bencic – 25/1 (Betsson) – Swiss youngster Belinda Bencic showed real mental stability in 2019 to rise up the rankings to the world’s top 8 following a sustained period away from the game through injury. She looks well set to challenge the elite in 2020 and with a game made for hard court tennis, she could go deep in Melbourne this time around.