Favorites to win the 2022 Australian Open Title
How excited are you about the 2022 Australian Open? The first of the 4 Grand Slams is set to begin tomorrow. Get ready to see your favorite players in action once again! The men’s side has been mostly dominated by the three greatest players of all time (GOATs in modern lingo) – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic – fondly called the Big Three for more than a decade. However, the next generation has started to show more grit and is on a mission to break the dominance of the legendary trio. With two of the Big Three absent from this year’s tournament due to their respective reasons, it is a golden opportunity for the
young generation to take center stage and show the world that a new dawn has come. With several promising young stars on the rise, who are you choosing as your future bet?
In the women’s half, we have seen a massive outburst of young talent with the decline of Serena Williams’ legacy. Players like Ashleigh Barty, Naomi Osaka, and Simona Halep have grasped the opportunity with both hands and are set to dominate women’s tennis for the years to come.
Who are the Hot Favorites for the Men’s Title?
Let’s look at the best shots among the men who have a chance to script history in Melbourne.
Daniil Medvedev
The leader of the young pack and the current number 2 in world rankings, Daniil is one of the prime contenders to win the title this year. The Russian is eyeing a consecutive Grand Slam title and his second overall after beating Novak Djokovic to the US Open title last year. With Novak unable to compete at this year’s Australian Open, Medvedev is now the highest-ranked player and one of the favorites to be crowned champion.
Matteo Berrettini
Matteo Berrettini had a career-best season in 2021, especially at the Grand Slams. Although he had to withdraw himself from the fourth round of the Australian Open last year, Berrettini played his best tennis in the remaining three Slams. The young Italian reached his first quarterfinal at the French Open, his maiden Grand Slam final at Wimbledon, and another quarterfinal at the US Open but lost to Djokovic on all three occasions.
Alexander Zverev
One of the most consistent performers in the ATP tours for the last few years, Zverev is rightly one of the favorites to win the championship this year. While he has enjoyed plenty of success in other tour events, a Grand Slam title has kept eluding him. Currently ranked number 3 in the world, Zverev will be eyeing to better his previous result at Melbourne – a semifinal in the 2020 Australian Open.
Rafael Nadal
One of the Big 3 and one of the greatest fighters in the history of sports, Nadal will be chasing history at the Australian Open this year. With both Novak and Roger not playing in the tournament, Nadal has the chance to become the only man in history to win a record 21 Grand Slam titles if he wins the Australian Open this year. However, the 35-year Spaniard is returning from a foot injury that had sidelined him for six months last year. But, he has made a strong statement by winning the 2022 Melbourne Summer Set, his 89th career title!
The Favorites for the Women’s Title
Here are the top contenders for the women’s title at this year’s Australian Open.
Ashleigh Barty
The homegirl and the current World No. 1 in women’s rankings, Barty is the hot favorite to win the title. Although she has previously won the French Open and the Wimbledon, the Australian Open title has eluded her for a while. The 25-year old powerhouse made her best performance by reaching the semifinals last year and will be keen to better it this time by winning her 3rd Grand Slam.
Naomi Osaka
After a year to forget in 2021, Osaka will look to bounce back strongly by winning the first Grand Slam event this year. The four-time Grand Slam winner suffered a bout with mental health issues and withdrew from the French Open before skipping the Wimbledon entirely last year. However, the young Japanese player is very strong on hard courts and will aim to regain her confidence and form at the Australian Open.
Paula Badosa
Paula’s best outing at a Grand Slam was a fourth-round finish at the French Open last year, but many in the tennis circuit are currently hailing her to be a rising star to watch out for. Starting as an underdog, the current World No. 6 outlasted Barbora Krejcikova, the winner of the 2021 French Open at the final of the Sydney Tennis Classic just before the 2022 Australian Open is set to begin.
Conclusion
With the tables set and all the players raring to go, let the first of the Grand Slam tournaments begin!