Djokovic a firm favorite at 2021 Australian Open

This week we finally get to enjoy the Australian Open as the tennis season really kicks off. After a COVID-19 delay which forced all players to completely quarantine in hotels for 14 days, we are now about to get in to the first Grand Slam of the season.

The Aussie Open is played on a hardcourt in Melbourne Park and there is $80 million Australian Dollars up for grabs in the prize pot. Luckily, the Sports Minister in Victoria has confirmed that there will be a limited number of spectators in attendance, so the players on court will get some form of atmosphere as they battle it out for one of tennis’ biggest prizes.

Djokovic is the firm favorite

Novak Djokovic has been World No. 1 for 307 weeks now and comes into this tournament as the most successful Australian Open player of all time. An eight-time winner, Djokovic has won seven of the last 10 renewals of this competition, and unsurprisingly is the firm favorite to collect another trophy for his mantlepiece.

The Serbian star has a 75-8 record in the Australian Open, his best record in all four Grand Slam events.

Russian Daniil Medvedev is the closest to Djokovic in the betting, despite a disappointing season in 2020. Medvedev had a breakout year in 2019, reaching six consecutive tournament finals, including the U.S. Open. But 2020 was more stop-start, and his Aussie Open record is uninspiring – never getting past the fourth round in four attempts.

Current U.S. Open champ Dominic Thiem is attempting to go one step better after losing to Djokovic in last year’s final in five sets, while tennis legend Rafael Nadal is attempting to win the Australian Open for the first time in over a decade. Nadal beat Federer in five sets in the 2009 final, but has only made four finals since, losing two of them to Djokovic.

Barty is looking for a slice of hometown history

World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty is looking to become the first Australian to win her hometown Grand Slam in 43 years. Christine O’Neil was the last Aussie to win this competition in 1978, and now last year’s semi-finalist Barty looks to write her name into the record books.

The 2019 French Open winner took an 11-month hiatus because of the pandemic, but won the Yarra Valley Classic earlier this year in a warm-up to this event.

Her biggest rival in the betting is three-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka. Osaka won the 2019 renewal of this tournament, beating Petra Kvitova in the final. In 2019 Osaka’s father started coaching her again and the relationship is paying dividends on the court. Despite last season’s disruptions, Osaka finished off the year by not losing a match in either the Cincinnati Open or the U.S. Open, and comes into Melbourne in red-hot form.

Of course, seven-time Aussie Open winner Serena Williams will be well fancied. It’s been four years since Williams last won the Aussie Open, which was also her last Grand Slam victory, but she’s back in action full time after her maternity leave, and a win here would give her bragging rights as the most successful Australian Open women’s player of all time.

The tournament runs until Feb. 21, and there are 2,000 ranking points up for grabs.