As winter comes upon us, tennis season begins, all the way on the other side of the globe. The Australian Open is now underway in Melbourne, with qualifying rounds having begun on Jan. 12, while the first round of the tournament began on Jan. 18.
Last year’s tournament was full of excitement, with tons of upsets occurring. In the men’s field, the top two seeds took their places in the semifinals, as top seeded Jannik Sinner and second seeded Alexander Zverev both avoided upsets. The other two semifinalists were seventh seeded Novak Djokovic, and shockingly, 21 seed Ben Shelton. However, the top two seeds kept their perfect record, as Sinner beat Shelton in straight sets, and Zverev knocked off Djokovic after Djokovic was injured in the match. In the final, Sinner defeated Zverev in straight sets to take home his second Australian Open title.
The top two players in last year’s women’s field, Arnya Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, both reached the semifinals. However, the other two semifinalists were less obvious, with 11th ranked Paula Badosa and 19th ranked Madison Keys taking the spots. Sabalenka took care of Badosa in straight sets, while Keys took home a shocking upset win over Swiatek, beating her in three sets. In the final, Keys upset Sabalenka for her first ever Grand Slam title, winning in three sets.
“I hope that we can see more exciting tournaments like last year’s, as those with upsets like this are always the best,” said sophomore Gabe Nash.
On the men’s side of things, the clear favorite is Italian Jannik Sinner. The tournament being played on hard courts also plays into the advantage of Sinner, who is widely agreed upon to be the world’s best hard court tennis player.
However, Spanish player Carlos Alcaraz is not far behind him. Alcaraz dominated in 2025, capturing seven titles, including the French and US Opens. Some fans think he is comparable to Sinner on the hard courts, which will definitely help him at the upcoming tournament.
The man with the third highest chance to win is tennis legend and Serbian national Novak Djokovic. However, he is much older and far behind Sinner and Alcaraz despite his record 10 Australian Open titles, dating back to 2008.
Another man fans consider to have a chance is German player Alexander Zverev. After his devastating defeat at last year’s Australian Open final, he’s still on the hunt for his first Grand Slam title. His amazing serve pairs perfectly with the courts in Melbourne, and he has been able to compete with giants like Sinner in the past, having an all time record of 4-4 against him.
Coming in right behind Zverev is Russian Daniil Medvedev, who has an impressive history with the Australian Open. Medvedev is a three time runner-up at the Australian Open, including losses to Sinner and Djokovic. However, many think Medvedev will finally step up and capture his first ever Australian Open.
“I believe that Djokovic will return to his Australian Open glory this year. His experience over players like Sinner and Alcaraz gives him a major advantage,” said sophomore Matthew Scott.
On the women’s side of the bracket, Arnya Sabalenka is the clear favorite. Despite the Belurusian’s final failures in last year’s Australian Open, she still maintained a strong season. She took home four titles, including the US Open, which she won in straight sets. She reached nine finals last year, while going 3-3 on hard court finals. She also beat many strong players last year, including Coco Gauff and Amanda Anisimova. Her hard court history and strong past wins give her a large advantage at this year’s Australian Open.
Following close behind Sabalenka is Polish player Iga Swiatek. She plays at a slower pace than most, which could help her win in Melbourne. Swiatek has been amazing in the last five years, capturing six Grand Slam titles in the period. These consist of four French Opens, one US Open, and one Wimbledon title. However, Swiatek is still searching for her first ever Australian Open win, and many fans think that will happen this year.
Following Swiatek is American Coco Gauff, who is coming off of a strong 2025. Her year included a French Open title, and a win over Sabalenka at a smaller tournament. Gauff’s win at a major and a victory over some of the tour’s toughest competition really shows that she can compete for the title in Melbourne this year.
Close behind Gauff is a player from Kazakhstan named Elena Rybakina. She also found a victory over Sabalenka last year, winning the WTA Finals in straight sets, proving her ability to compete at the highest level in all of women’s tennis. Her first serve also works well with the Melbourne hard courts, giving her an advantage over some other players.
Mirra Andreeva is right behind Rybakina, and for good reason. The 18 year old Russian sensation won two smaller tournaments last year, including a victory over Sabalenka in the Indian Wells final. However, her greatest achievement is reaching the 2024 French Open semifinals at just 17 years old, becoming the youngest Grand Slam semifinalist since 1997.
“I think Sabalenka will win the Australian Open this season, as she has proven time and time again that she is the best player in the game. Her defeat last year will just fuel her even more to win it this time around,” said sophomore Jake Weiss.