The 2019 tennis season was concluded with Spain securing another Davis Cup victory in Madrid, mostly thanks to the virtuoso performance by Rafael Nadal who was instrumental in achieving the success of his country.
Currently, the world’s top-ranked player, Nadal, has now topped the ATP rankings for 200 weeks during his illustrious career. This achievement was all the more impressive considering the stiff competition from the biggest rivals during a golden generation of men’s tennis.
As we say goodbye to another exciting tennis season, many leading stars of the sport will take a short break in December to recharge their batteries. Some of them will probably put this time to good use by training hard and preparing for the year to come, given that the Australian Open is just around the corner.
Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne has been a fascinating battleground for more than a decade, with the ‘Big Three’ (Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer) dominating the prestigious tournament. The three most decorated tennis players ever will be competing again at the 2020 tournament. However, next-gen players are getting better each year, meaning the Big Three will have to bring their A-game if they want to add another award to their trophy cabinets.
Plenty of tennis betting opportunities are waiting to be seized at the Australian Open. Our team of tennis experts has taken matters into their own hands and produced Australian Open tips and predictions for the upcoming championship. Stay tuned!
1. Novak Djokovic
If Djokovic is in form, he will undoubtedly be the top favourite to win the title in Melbourne. Beating Novak at Rod Laver Arena is the second most challenging task in tennis. An in-form Djokovic is 46-1 at the AO since 2011. He won seven titles out of seven appearances in the finals. Last year, the Serb warrior annihilated Nadal, making just nine unforced errors in that match.
Bet365 is offering fantastic 2.75 odds for Djokovic to win another AO crown. Considering that the Serb has been injury-free for the past several months, as well as his previous performances in Melbourne, it’s hard to imagine that anyone could beat him in three sets.
2. Rafael Nadal
As the top-ranked player on the ATP tour, it’s fair to say that the 19-time Grand Slam champion stands a good chance of winning any tournament. Having won the 2019 FO and US Grand Slam titles, the Raging Bull has demonstrated exceptional form throughout the year.
Therefore, he will be more than eager to start the new season with a victory in Melbourne. Although he often performed well in Australia, winning the title in 2009, Nadal failed to repeat that success in any of the subsequent four finals he reached in Melbourne.
Nadal is now at 4.50 to win the AO title in Bet365, and by the looks of it, he may be the only player capable of preventing Djokovic from winning another title in Melbourne. This could certainly happen, but the possibility of it should warrant better odds than this. Since the odds are ‘only’ 4.50, you should consider passing on this one.
3. Roger Federer
The Swiss maestro is maybe in the twilight of his professional career, but he shows no signs of slowing down. Still competing at the highest level and more than capable of reaching major tournament finals, Federer will surely try to win his 21st Grand Slam title in Melbourne. The Swiss superstar has won the tournament on six occasions, with the latest triumph being in 2018.
The oddsmakers in Bet365 call Federer an 11.00 favourite to win in Melbourne. This looks like a decent price and could certainly be worth a small punt. Also, you won’t get a much better price than the one Bet365 is offering for this bet. What’s more, you can watch the tennis matches you’ve bet on using the bet365 live stream tennis platform. Many of the games come with live commentary, so you’ll know exactly what’s going on.
4. Stefanos Tsitsipas
Having recently won the World Tour Finals in London, the Greek superstar may be ready to win his first Slam. He is an all-round player with no apparent weaknesses in his game, and he keeps improving on all fronts. Also, he seems to have the emotional fortitude required to win Slams. Tsitsipas has recorded wins against each member of the Big Three in 2019, beating Nadal on clay and Djokovic on hard court.
I’d lay my bets on Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic to take all four 2020 Slams, but I’d be shocked if Stefanos didn’t make a breakthrough soon. Tsitsipas is a 13.00 favourite to win the 2020 AO. Although these odds seem tempting, we’ll wait until the play-off draw is released before we make our decisions. Whatever the case, betting on Tsitsipas on hard court is always a good idea.
Image “Australian Open 2011 – Preparing the court” by Rexness is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
