The Australian Open gets underway on Sunday, so it’s time to make my picks for the title.
On the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka is a considerable favorite–and for good reason. She is the world No. 1 and two-time defending champion in Melbourne. The Belarusian also triumphed at the U.S. Open in 2024, so she has been dominant at the hard-court majors in recent seasons.
However, I can’t look past Coco Gauff. The third-ranked American wrapped up last year with the WTA Finals title and she opened this one by going 5-0 in singles en route to United Cup glory for the United States. Gauff beat both Iga Swiatek and Karolina Muchova in straight sets at that team competition, so she is on an absolute roll. Dating back to 2024, the 20-year-old is riding a nine-match winning streak.
Gauff finds herself in Sabalenka’s half of the draw, but the good news is that she would not have to face either Swiatek or Elena Rybakina until the championship match.
All things considered, I like Gauff to secure her second Grand Slam title.
Sinner is a heavy favorite on the men’s side, but I actually think it’s pretty wide open. The world No. 1 and defending champ still has a doping scandal hanging over his head; it won’t be solved until at least April, but it’s still a distraction. Carlos Alcaraz has been inconsistent since winning the French Open and Wimbledon in 2024, Alexander Zverev has never won a major, and Novak Djokovic is 37 years old. Nobody is a slam dunk.
That’s why I think the door is still open for Djokovic. Being in Alcaraz’s section of the bracket isn’t ideal, but Djokovic beat the Spaniard in one of the most important matches of his career last summer–the gold-medal match at the Paris Olympics. Moreover, Djokovic is a 10-time champion at Melbourne Park. This is his favorite tournament…except when he gets deported and banned!
Does Djokovic have one more slam left in him? Probably. And if he does, it will almost certainly be in Australia.
Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on Twitter at @Dimonator.