Australian Open 2025 betting preview: Outright predictions and tips
THE first tennis Grand Slam of the year is underway with the Australian Open up and running.
It's one of the big sporting events to kick off each calendar year, so our betting experts at SunSport are here to serve you with some of their top bets and tips, while also netting you with exclusive sign-up offers from our betting partners.
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Australian Open tennis tips
Men's Australian Open 2025 preview
Men's Australian Open odds
Odds from bet365
- Jannik Sinner 11/8
- Carlos Alcaraz 7/2
- Novak Djokovic 7/2
- Alexander Zverev 10/1
- Daniil Medvedev 14/1
- Stefanos Tsitsipas 28/1
- Taylor Fritz 28/1
- Holger Rune 40/1
- Arthur Fils 50/1
- Ben Shelton 50/1
- 66/1 bar
Odds correct at 3pm on January 8, 2025
It seems a lifetime ago now but it was 12 months ago that JANNIK SINNER scooped his first ever Grand Slam victory here.
Fast forward 12 months and he's now a two-time Slam winner - having claimed the US Open in September - and heads into his title defence as the warm favourite to do so.
The Italian racked up eight titles on the ATP Tour and earned £16million in prize money last year - and was the only man to reach at least the quarters in every Slam.
With the lack of big names contesting deep into tournaments in the field, it'll take a big performance from someone to beat him to the title.
Could that man be Carlos Alcaraz? He's without a doubt the closest challenger to Sinner having scooped the other two Grand Slams last year at the French Open and Wimbledon.
His issue is he's yet to progress beyond the quarter-finals here, though with this new, era-defining rivalry with Sinner he won't want to concede another Slam to the man from Italy and extend his 4-2 lead.
Novak Djokovic can rarely be written off but age catches up with everyone and that looks to be the case here for him unfortunately.
He's won this tournament a stunning ten times and now has Andy Murray as his coach for Australia but a straight-sets drubbing in Brisbane from 6ft 11ins Reilly Opelka - world number 293 - is hardly inspiring.
Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz are notable names in contention but they face a brutal task in trying to beat Sinner.
SunSport's Joshua Jones says...
By Joshua Jones
THIS Australian Open men’s singles is one of the most exciting in a very long time because there is so much history on the line.
World No1 Jannik Sinner is the defending champion, Carlos Alcaraz is aiming to become the youngest man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam and Novak Djokovic is desperate to claim the outright record for the most singles Grand Slam titles in history.
On paper, one has to favour Sinner off the back of a staggering 2024 season and finding himself on the ‘easier’ side of the draw.
His biggest threat is a potential semi-final with either Taylor Fritz or Daniil Medvedev - the two men he beat in his Major finals last year.
Djokovic has won TEN Australian Opens but the Serb’s Slam-less 2024 means he is only the No7 seed and faces a tricky route with No3 seed Alcaraz in the quarter-finals then No2 Alexander Zverev in the semi.
So with three of the four favourites on one half and Sinner and his clinical hard-court performances on the other, it is hard to tip anyone other than the Italian.
The second quarter has the potential to open up with giant server Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Aussie Alexei Popyrin possible banana skins for Fritz and Medvedev in round three.
A number of high seeds are at risk of an early exit.
Alex De Minaur (No8) faces Botic van de Zandchulp who knocked Alcaraz out of the US Open, Andrey Rublev (No9) has got exciting teenage Brazilian qualifier Joao Fonseca who could have a breakthrough tournament while Holger Rune (No13) takes on Zhang Zhizhen for the right to play Matteo Berrettini or Cameron Norrie.
Women's Australian Open 2025 preview
Women's Australian Open odds
Odds from BetMGM
- Aryna Sabalenka 11/5
- Coco Gauff 7/2
- Iga Swiatek 23/5
- Elena Rybakina 10/1
- Zheng Qinwen 14/1
- Mirra Andreeva 20/1
- Karolina Muchova 20/1
- Jessica Pegula 22/1
- Naomi Osaka 40/1
- Jasmine Paolini 40/1
- 50/1 bar
- (Emma Raducanu 120/1)
Odds correct at 3pm on January 8, 2025
Aryna Sabalenka is the obvious frontrunner to claim victory Down Under having won successive champions.
The world number one was a straight-sets winner in last year's final, doubling her career Slam wins.
She added to her haul at the US Open in September - similarly to Sinner - taking her tally to three so far.
But the second and third in the bookmakers list won't make things easy for her.
It's hard to believe Coco Gauff is still only 20 years old, with plenty of time to add to her one Gland Slam.
She was dominant in winning the end-of-season WTA Finals too, ensuring she comes here in top form.
While IGA SWIATEK lost in straight sets to Gauff in the United Cup final last week as continues her search for her first Aussie Open win.
But she's been handed a very favourable draw too so is a short price to go deep.
She's won four times in Paris and the US Open in 2022, so winning isn't the issue. Her best performance here was a semi-final appearance in 2022.
There is also an Olympic bronze last year to add to the collection and at a decent price, she's the pick for this tournament.
Wouldn't it be great if Emma Raducanu's career rebooted here? She's a longshot but we live in hope....
SunSport's Joshua Jones says...
By Joshua Jones
ARYNA SABALENKA is hoping to achieve something no woman has achieved this century: win a hat-trick of Australian Opens.
And few will be betting against world No1 Sabalenka rewriting the history books on January 25.
She dropped just one set in her 2023 and 2024 runs COMBINED and has looked at her imperious best Down Under in recent years.
The biggest test could come in a blockbuster semi-final with in-form Coco Gauff, fresh from beating Iga Swiatek on the way to United Cup glory for the USA.
No2 seed Swiatek’s path to the semis on the other half looks relatively straightforward - even with a third-round meeting with Emma Raducanu.
However, as Linda Noskova, Yulia Putintseva and Alize Cornet have proven in recent years, the Pole is not immune to a shock early Slam exit to an unseeded opponent.
A firing Elena Rybakina can be a serious contender and could face Swiatek in the last four, as could No4 seed Jasmine Paolini or No22 seed Katie Boulter.
Ons Jabeur is an unknown quantity after slipping out of the seeds while Spanish 11th seed Paula Badosa will be hoping to take advantage of an inviting draw.
Watch out for Emma Navarro, though, who has steadily risen up the rankings to world No8.
She reached round three, round four, the quarter-finals and the semi-finals in order at the Grand Slams last year - by that logic, the American billionaire heiress is set for a run to the final in Melbourne.
When is the Australian Open 2025?
- The Australian Open starts on Sunday, January 12 2025
- The women's singles final is on Saturday, January 25 and the men's a day later on Sunday, January 26
- The Australian Open is played on the hard courts at Melbourne Park
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