Australian Open Tennis Betting Preview

The first Grand Slam of the 2021 tennis season is underway, and hopefully, we can have a better, more stable schedule for this season than we saw last year. 

It is a big moment for tennis as it looks to put itself back on the sporting map, and both fans and those who work inside the sport will be hoping to see some top-quality action, that gets people coming back and wanting more. 

As ever, we have two events, one for men and one for women. Over the past few years, these two have both moved apart, the men’s focuses on just a small number of players who are at the top of the tennis ladder, while the women’s event looks wide open once again and some double-figure players will fancy their chances. 

Here is a look at both events, plus some general tennis betting tips and advice ahead of the tournament to get you moving in the right direction. 

Novak Djokovic won this title in 2020 and has a great record here, so it is no surprise to see him head the betting in the men’s tournament. He is a strong favourite and will be fancied by many to win another title here, but four players can all chase him down if the Serbian is not quite at his best.

Rafael Nadal is one of those, the Spaniard may not be at his best on this hard court, but he can certainly play good on it and has to be considered as a contender. Then we have Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev, two players who have managed to move up the ladder in recent years as we have seen former top players Andy Murray and Roger Federer take time away from the game to heal. 

Medvedev, in particular, is seen as a player who can really dominate tennis in years to come, when the old guard have retired, but he is more than capable of winning now, and probably rates as the main danger to Djokovic here. First up for Medvedev though is that he has to get the job done here. He’s never made it past the fourth round, that will be the first goal for him before he can think about going further and challenging to lift this title. 

Of those that are even bigger in price, players such as Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev may appeal most to punters who are looking to find something big to go with. 

While the men’s game is dominated by a few players, the women’s game is the complete opposite at the moment and it is great to see. Ahead of the Australian Open starting, 15 players are priced up at 25/1 or shorter to win this. Compare that to the men’s, where just eight players are less than 50/1 and you can see how big the gap is. 

Heading the women’s market is Naomi Osaka, though not too far behind her is Ashleigh Barty. These are the two players that have come to the fore in recent years and while they have not been able to dominate, they have been winning or coming close more than the others. 

Then we have some experienced heads, such as Serena Williams and Simona Halep, hoping to put their experience to good use in these uncertain times. Sofia Kenin, Iga Swiatek and Victoria Azarenka are three more names you cannot dismiss a little further down in the betting and this just shows how wide open the women’s game is right now. 

Petra Kvitova, Karolina Pliskova and Elina Svitolina are three more to mention as the names just keep rolling, these three have plenty of experience behind them too, and can certainly make their presence felt. 

With tennis players having to adapt to new surroundings and the protocols they have to follow, it would be no surprise to see an older, experienced head come to the fore and win this title. Serena Williams has shown time and time again the ability to shut out the world and really focus on her tennis and nothing else when the big moments come around. She may prove to be the one who comes out on top here in what looks to be a wide-open women’s event. 

It is worth saying at this stage that the players competing here will be coming here on the back of a wild few months. Some have chosen to not play, others have tried to play but been forced out and some have managed to get a few games of tennis under their belts (read this – Australian Open Betting Tips). 

When you are looking at this, especially if you are trying to compare two of the lower-ranked players in the event, look at what they have been doing recently. Match fitness and how players have been keeping in shape can help determine a game under normal circumstances, but at the start of this season, it is going to be more important than ever before. 

You should also be aware that players are likely to grow into the tournament if they haven’t played too much recently. If you see someone struggle and only just get through in the first round, don’t discount them in the next round, as they could well improve for the sets under their belt and look better. 

With fitness an issue, don’t forget the weather conditions, it is hot in Australia at this time of year, which is only going to make it tougher on players. You may think a player is capable of keeping things close, but if they are not fit, their opponent could make that count and win the deciding set while the other players struggle to keep playing. 

Usually, tennis pointers such as looking for players in form, reading the draw to see who has the best path and looking at the space between games is important as ever but there is, even more, to consider this time around under the current climate. 

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