STARNBERG, December 11, 2018 (Sponsored)

Taking place in the last fortnight of January, next year’s Australian Open will be 107th edition of the tournament, and the 51st in the ‘Open Era’. It will also be the first Grand Slam tournament of the 2019 calendar.

As it will be the start of a brand new tennis calendar season, all competitors will be hoping to make a big impression to get off to a great start. However, only one will be able to walk away as the victor.

With the tournament quickly approaching us, we take a look at the players who are favourites to win it. Have a look and let us know if you agree with us!

Roger Federer

Although he is one of the oldest players on the ATP World Tour, Roger Federer has managed to stay at the top of the rankings for the majority of his career despite having younger rivals and suffering from a few injuries during his lengthy career. He is currently the holder of the men’s singles title and will be looking to retain the trophy for the third consecutive year. His athleticism, experience, and versatility means that he is dangerous on any type of court which will give him a slight edge over his competitors.

Novak Djokovic

According to the Australian Open 2019 betting odds, Novak Djokovic is the favourite to win the first Grand Slam of the year. After a disappointing 2017 season, Djokovic has finished off 2018 in style by winning both Wimbledon and the US Open. The Serbian has improved his year-end points total from 2585 all the way to 9045 and he will be hoping to carry his momentum into the next tournament. The Australian Open is Djokovic’s most successful Grand Slam competition, winning 6 of the 14 tournaments he has competed in, as well as having an 88% win ratio. With his history in the competition, it is no surprise that he is the bookies’ favourite.

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal

The “King of Clay” has suffered from numerous injuries throughout his career, primarily due to his aggressive playstyle which requires a large amount of physical energy. Although this has meant that the Spaniard has missed several Grand Slam tournaments over the years, he is still one of the most successful players in the history of the sport, winning 17 Grand Slam titles. His overall success in the game means that he is naturally one of the favourites to win the tournament, but his record in this specific tournament suggests that he is at a slight disadvantage compared to his competitors.

Serena Williams

It’s not just the men who are in action in January, there’s also the women’s matches. Serena Williams is arguably the most recognisable women’s player in tennis at the moment. Along with her sister Venus, the Williams siblings have dominated the sport since the turn of the millennium, with Serena winning the majority of the Grand Slam titles available. Although the American has failed to win a Grand Slam since the birth of her daughter in September 2017, two consecutive final appearances shows that she still has the ability to compete at the highest level.

Simona Halep

Despite being ranked as the number one player in the world, Simona Halep is slightly behind Serena Williams on the odds market. Like Williams, Halep is a fairly aggressive player, but she has not managed to replicate her success in the Grand Slam tournaments. Since starting her professional career in 2010 the Romanian has only managed to win one Grand Slam tournament, the French Open last year. Despite this, 2018 was one of the best years of her career and she’ll be looking to carry her confidence into the Australian Open.

Caroline Wozniacki

Although last year’s winner isn’t the favourite to win it for a second consecutive year, Caroline Wozniacki can’t be dismissed. She secured the first Grand Slam title of her career last year when she defeated Simona Halep 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 in the final. It was definitely the best way to start a season, but unfortunately that’s as good as the season got for her. Although she managed to win a couple of Open titles and remain in the top three, her season didn’t manage to deliver on its early promise. Despite this, her Grand Slam win last year shows that she has the ability in her to win it again