This first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open, will be full of expectations, as there will be fights for the number 1 spot in the women’s rankings, the reigning champions seem close to repeating their triumphs of last year, and 37-year-old Novak Djokovic will try to set new records.
Australian Open kicks off with high expectations for Sinner, Djokovic, and Sabalenka
The 2025 Australian Open, which runs through Jan. 26, will be all about records, title defenses and the battle for the No. 1 women’s ranking.
WTA No. 1
Aryna Sabalenka looks solid and on the verge of a hat-trick at the Australian Open. If she succeeds, she will solidify her No. 1 ranking and take a big lead over No. 2 Iga Swiatek, who has not done so well on Melbourne Park courts but is still a great competitor.
If Iga wins the title and Aryna does not reach the final, or if she at least reaches the third round and the Belarusian loses in the quarterfinals, then the Pole will regain the No. 1 ranking. But as we already mentioned, this is not one of the best tournaments for Swiatek.
There is another contender for the number 1 spot. American Coco Gauff, ranked 3rd in the WTA rankings, could go to the top if she wins the tournament and Sabalenka and Swiatek lose in the first rounds.
Sinner goes for second AO
The final that everyone expects to see on January 26th is Carlos Alcaraz vs. Jannik Sinner, but there are many rounds to play before that. The defending champion and world No. 1 is the favorite and will face tough Chilean Nico Jarry in the first round, Holger Rune in the fourth round, probably Alex de Miñaur in the quarterfinals, Daniil Medvedev or Taylor Fritz in the semis and Alcaraz, Djokovic or Alexander Zverev in the final.
Nole's 25th?
This Australian Open has a special meaning for Novak Djokovic because he could win his 100th title, which would put him in third place on the all-time list behind Roger Federer (103) and Jimmy Connors (109). More importantly, he would become the greatest Grand Slam winner in history with 25 titles, a record for both men and women.
He currently shares the record for most Grand Slams with Margaret Court, who won between 1960 and 1973 and held the record for nearly 50 years. The 82-year-old Australian is a regular in the stands at Melbourne Park, where one of the stadiums bears her name: Margaret Court Arena.
Although Nole has not won a title for more than a year, it should not be forgotten that the Australian Open is one of his favorites, where he has lifted the cup 10 times (the last one in 2023). In addition, this time he has the coaching of Andy Murray, one of his fiercest rivals in the past and who knows very well the strategies.
The problem is that he could face Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals and Alexander Zverev in the semis. Before the quarterfinals, he could face Grigor Dimitrov.
If you found this article about the Australian Open interesting, please share it. We also recommend this article about the new sneakers from Adidas, Nike and On. You can also read other articles in the Active and Discover sections