By: Justin Gincauskas
The first Grand Slam of the 2024 tennis season is just around the corner, as the Australian Open begins on Jan. 14. There will be 128 players in the main draw competing for the Grand Slam title. However, only a few players stand out as favorites to win the 2024 Australian Open.
On Jan. 11, the tournament will hold its annual draw ceremony to determine the bracket and first-round matchups. Novak Djokovic, who won the 2023 edition of the event, is back this year to defend his title. Looking to put an end to his reign will be young stars Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, along with 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev.
Here are the top five men’s Australian Open favorites in 2024, according to the oddsmakers at DraftKings Sportsbook.
5. Alexander Zverev (+2500)
Alexander Zverev is looking like a serious challenger for the Australian Open title. He started the year playing in the United Cup, leading Germany to the title. Along the way, Zverev defeated world number seven Stefanos Tsitsipas and world number nine Hubert Hurkacz.
The world number six will not have the pressure of defending many points at the tournament. Last year, Zverev lost in the second round to American Michael Mmoh.
4. Daniil Medvedev (+1200)
Daniil Medvedev has to be a contender in every tournament he plays. Although he does not have the power to hit players off of the court, he finds a way to outlast his opponents in rallies due to his consistent play.
Medvedev is still looking for his first Australian Open title. He made the final in back-to-back years in 2021 and 2022 but fell short both times. With other Australian Open favorites ahead of him, he can fly under the radar and make another deep run.
3. Jannik Sinner (+700)
Jannik Sinner had an impressive run to end the 2023 season, which included defeating Djokovic twice. He hopes to carry that momentum into the first Grand Slam of 2024.
Although Sinner has proven he can win big tournaments and beat top players, he has not done it consistently at the Grand Slams. He has made a Grand Slam semifinal just once, and his best result at the Australian Open is a quarterfinal appearance in 2022.
2. Carlos Alcaraz (+320)
Carlos Alcaraz has the second-best odds to win in Australia despite never getting past the third round in his career. However, Alcaraz did have to miss last year’s tournament due to an injury, as 2024 will mark the first time he plays the event as a Grand Slam champion.
Alcaraz is already on his way to becoming one of the greats in the sport. He is just 20 years old and looks to add a third Grand Slam title to his collection.
1. Novak Djokovic (+100)
There is no doubt that Novak Djokovic is the overwhelming favorite heading into the 2024 Australian Open. He has won the event 10 times in his career, which is the most all-time.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion is hungry for more, even at 36 years old. Not only will Djokovic have to stop the young guys from coming after the title, but he will also have to stop father time. However, as we have consistently seen from Djokovic, he has a good chance of doing just that.
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