2024 Australian Open: Preview and Tips

A new year is just around the corner and that means the Australian Open, which is the first Grand Slam of the 2024 campaign, is fast approaching.

The dust has settled on the 2023 season on both the ATP and WTA Tour’s and the new campaign begins Down Under with a host of smaller events before the world's elite head to Melbourne.

In the men's event, all eyes will be on Novak Djokovic, who is in pursuit of an 11th Australian Open title, while the women's competition has a more open feel to it as Aryna Sabalenka looks to defend her title.

Tip 1 - Carlos Alcaraz to win Australian Open Men @ 3/1

It is a bold move to oppose Djokovic in any Grand Slam event, let alone his beloved Australian Open, but there could be value elsewhere in the men's outright betting.

The Serbian hoovered up three of the four majors on offer last year, finishing runner-up in the other at Wimbledon, and he is on a 28-match unbeaten run at the Australian Open, having won the tournament in 2019, 2020 and 2021 before missing the event last year.

But last season Djokovic did not have to contend with the red-hot Carlos Alcaraz, who was world number one ahead of the season's opening Grand Slam but missed out due to a leg injury.

Since then, Alcaraz has added another Grand Slam title to his repertoire, defeating Djokovic in an epic Wimbledon final last season.

The Spaniard already has a hard-court title to his name, having won the US Open back in 2022, and he is a significantly better player than when reaching the third round in Melbourne two years ago.

Djokovic is the man to beat but Alcaraz is the most likely to topple him and he looks the value selection.

Tip 2 - Jannik Sinner to win Australian Open Men @ 6/1

It is hard to look past the top two when selecting a winner for the men's Australian Open but Italian Jannik Sinner is a dark horse.

Sinner showed he can mix it with the very best when beating Djokovic twice back in November in the ATP World Finals and the Davis Cup.

He showed signs of improvement in the back end of 2023, reaching the semi-finals of Wimbledon for the first time in his career, and he looks ready to go further than his best run of the quarter-finals at the Australian Open.

Tip 3 - Aryna Sabalenka to win Australian Open Women @ 4/1

While Djokovic dominates the men's equivalent, there has been less of a monopoly in the Australian Open women's competition with four different winners in the last four years..

Sabalenka was, however, the most likely to come out on top, beating Elena Rybakina 4-6 6-3 6-4 in the 2022 final and she could defend her title.

At her best, world number Iga Swiatek can beat anyone but she is not at her best on the hard courts, having exited both the Australian Open and the US Open in the fourth round last season.

She showed glimpses of her quality in the WTA Finals at the end of the 2023 season but she rarely shines in Australia and is worth taking on.

The 2023 season was one to remember for Sabalenka, who achieved her best finish in each of the four Grand Slams during the campaign.

After winning the Australian Open, she was a semi-finalist at both the French Open and Wimbledon before finishing as runner-up at the US Open.

She won 35 of her 44 matches on the hard courts in 2023 and it would be no surprise if she was the pick of the bunch in the women's tournament once again.

Tip 4 - Jessica Pegula to win Australian Open Women @ 10/1

With Swiatek's form on the hard courts coming under scrutiny, it is an open draw in the Australian Open and that gives players further down the rankings the opportunity to go deep.

One player who could capitalise is American ace Jessica Pegula, who was one of the most consistent performers on the WTA tour in 2023, having reached the quarter-finals in both the Australian Open and at Wimbledon.

It means she has now reached the last eight of all four of the Grand Slams but it is at the Australian Open where she has enjoyed the most success, reaching that stage in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

She loves the hard courts and has a lot of experience behind her heading to Melbourne this time around, so do not be surprised if she emerges as a surprise title contender.

For the full range of odds, check out our dedicated Australian Open betting page.