Australian Open 2023: 5 favorites to win the men's singles title ft. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal
The season's first Grand Slam is upon us as the 2023 Australian Open is set to begin on January 16.
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, who claimed his maiden Grand Slam title at last year's US Open, won't be competing. He recently injured himself while training and the tournament lost one of its title favorites even before it began. Despite the teenager's withdrawal, there are plenty of contenders in the mix.
While the old guard still reigns supreme, the next generation of players are making moves of their own now. Holger Rune and Felix Auger-Aliassime are two youngsters to keep an eye out for. The mercurial Nick Kyrgios is also in the mix. He won the men's doubles title in Melbourne last year and later reached his first Grand Slam final in singles at Wimbledon.
There are rarely any surprises on the men's side and, as usual, there are a few clear-cut standouts to win the title. Here's a look at the five men who are the favorites to win the Australian Open:
#5. Rafael Nadal
The defending champion's performances in the lead-up to the Australian Open haven't been too encouraging. Rafael Nadal's end-of-season woes have carried into the new year as well, with the Spaniard losing both of his recent United Cup ties. He did fight well in both of his losses, but it's still an uphill battle for him if he wants to hoist a third trophy at Melbourne Park.
Nadal's record at the Australian Open has been quite decent. Since 2007, he has made it to the quarterfinals at the very least, except in 2016 when he crashed out in the first round. The 36-year-old won his 21st Major here last year but is yet to defend a Grand Slam title outside of the French Open.
Given Nadal's current form, it seems unlikely that he'll emerge victorious this time. However, one can never count out a champion of his caliber.
#4. Casper Ruud
After finishing as the runner-up at the French Open and the US Open last year, Casper Ruud will be eager to lay his hands on the winner's trophy. Though he has been quite consistent over the last couple of years, he is yet to win a title beyond the ATP 250 level.
Ruud started his season at the United Cup, winning his tie against Thiago Monteiro but losing to Matteo Berrettini. His best result at the Australian Open was a fourth-round appearance in 2021. He didn't compete last year due to an injury. The Norwegian has proved he has the game to make it to the end, but it remains to be seen if he'll be able to cross the final hurdle once he's there.
#3. Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev almost won the Australian Open last year. He won the first couple of sets against Nadal in the final, but the Spaniard staged a comeback to defeat him. The loss has affected him to an extent as well and his results since then have been quite inconsistent.
But Medvedev is capable of playing some amazing tennis, especially on hardcourts. In his only tournament of 2023, he reached the semifinals before losing to Novak Djokovic.
The Russian finished as the runner-up in the last two editions of the Australian Open. If he rediscovers his mojo once again, he just might capture the title this time.
#2. Stefanos Tsitsipas
Stefanos Tsitsipas is a three-time semifinalist at the Australian Open, including last-four appearances in 2021 and 2022. He has been in fine form over the last few weeks. During the off-season, he won the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. He started the new season by representing Greece in the United Cup.
Tsitsipas remained unbeaten in the tournament, winning all of his singles and mixed doubles matches. Still, it wasn't enough as Greece lost in the semifinals. But the 24-year-old seems primed to make another deep run in Melbourne and may even clinch his maiden Grand Slam title.
#1. Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic was unable to compete here last year after a visa scandal led to his deportation from the country. Now, after a one-year absence, the king of Melbourne Park is back and on the hunt for a 10th Australian Open title.
The Serbian recently clinched his 92nd career title at the Adelaide International 1, even saving a match point in the final against Sebastian Korda. He has remained undefeated in Australia since 2019, winning the Australian Open thrice along with the 2020 ATP Cup and the aforementioned title in Adelaide.
Djokovic is the man to beat here, but that's a tough task for the rest of the field to accomplish. He's always more motivated after a setback and after last year's debacle, he's back with a vengeance. The title is his to lose and he's likely to be holding the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup in two weeks' time if the injury that forced him to withdraw from his pre-tournament practice match against Daniil Medvedev isn't a serious one.