2023 Australian Open
Excitement is building as the 2023 tennis season kicks off! This year’s Australian Open sees the return of Novak Djokovic. Following last year’s debacle, Novak will want to get back to winning ways at his favourite Slam. Relentless in his pursuit of perfection, the Serbian is a hot favourite to make it ten titles down under.
The other favourite, Rafael Nadal is arguably the only player who also has a shot at winning the event. Nadal is the defending champion, and being the ultimate fighter will not easily relinquish his title. So what surprises does the 2023 Australian Open hold?
The women’s competition is without 2022 champion Ash Barty. Having retired from tennis in 2022, Barty has left the door open for a new champion in 2023. With Serena Williams also having retired in 2022, and previous winner Naomi Osaka expecting her first child, the new crop of female players have a chance to create their own piece of history. Leading the pack is world number 1, Iga Swiatek. Coming off a red hot 2022 season, the Pole is odds-on favourite to take the win.
Known for its late-night matches in the heat, the Australian Open rarely fails to deliver the spectacle that the first Slam of the year warrants.
Recent History
Results spanning the past 10 years make for easy reading in the Men’s competition. Only four players have lifted the winner’s trophy since 2012. Roger Federer has since retired, and Stan Wawrinka is still searching for the heights that made him a multiple Grand Slam champion. Rafa won last year for the second time in his career. His other triumph coming as far back as the 2009 season. The man with all the titles is Novak. He is truly in a class of his own on the hard courts of Melbourne Park. Should he win again this year, he will extend his lead at the top of the all-time winners list.
Currently on nine titles, the Serb wants nothing more than to get back to winning ways in the tournament he has dominated for a decade. Converse to the Men’s tournament is the women’s competition. In the past 10 years, there have been eight different winners. Neither of the previous two winners is present. This leaves the door open for a new champion to emerge in the 2023 Australian Open. There are past winners participating this year (Victoria Azarenka and Sofia Kenin to name a few), however it is difficult to look past the form players currently dominating the scene. For a refresher on last years predictions have a look at our 2022 Australian Open article.
Who to watch: Men
Conspicuous in his absence is Carlos Alcaraz. The 19-year-old, current world number 1 is out with a hamstring injury. The young Spaniard had a stellar 2022 season, capping it off by winning his first Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows. The Aussie Open is poorer without him. Another big loss (bigger personality one could argue) is that of local favourite Nick Kyrgios. The fiery Australian had a year to remember in twenty-two. The losing Wimbledon finalist also made the quarterfinals at the final Slam of the year in New York. Nursing a knee injury, he will be aggrieved that he cannot get his season off to a positive start.
The list of contenders is still significant. Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev and Taylor Fritz are all searching for their maiden Grand Slam title. Daniil Medvedev meanwhile hopes to make amends for last year’s final where he lost after being two sets up against Nadal. The 2021 US Open winner had a poor 2022 by his standards. Other than making the final in Australia, Medvedev never made it past the fourth round in any other Slam during the year.
Another player looking to make amends and go one step further is Casper Ruud. The Norwegian twice found himself in the Runner-Up position at Grand Slams last year. Losing both the French Open and the US Open finals will have dented his confidence. Key to future success will be how he manages to convert these chances in 2023. He is also hoping for a good start to his season in Australia.
43 Grand Slam Titles
Destined to meet in the final of the 2023 Australian Open are the two big favourites, Nadal and Djokovic. With 43 Grand Slam titles between them, the last of the ‘big three’ both still seem to have gas left in the tank. By winning his 14th French Open title last year, Nadal become the ‘winningest’ male player with 22 Slam titles to his name. Djokovic is only one championship title behind his old rival. Should these two greats meet in the final, one thing for sure is that it will be a spectacle of note.
Who to watch: Women
It is difficult to look past Iga Swiatek and Ons Jabeur in the women’s draw. The top two seeds dominated the 2022 season. Swiatek ended the year with 2 Grand Slam titles, and the world number 1 ranking. When on form, she appears unbeatable. Hard courts however are perhaps less favourable for the Pole when compared to her dominance on clay. Saying this, she easily beat Jabeur at the US Open final, so perhaps the court substrate is a non-story. Semi-finalist in 2022, Swiatek is hungry to add an Australian Open title to her trophy cabinet. Jabeur meanwhile is searching for that final piece of the puzzle in her game. Twice a Slam runner-up in 2022, the Tunisian desperately needs to claim one of the big ones in 2023. Tennis fans will be rooting for her should she make the final on the 28th of January.
Other contenders in the women’s competition are American teenager Coco Gauff and fellow American Madison Keys. Both are still searching for their first Grand Slam title. A semi-finalist in Australia in 2022, Keys is looking to replicate the form that got her to the 2017 US Open final. Gauff on the other hand potentially comes into the tournament in better form. The 2022 French Open finalist recently won the 2023 ASB Classic (a WTA hard court event in New Zealand). She thus heads into the Australian Open with her tail up and will be driven to go all the way.
2023 Aussie Open Conclusion
The stage is set for another epic opening to the tennis season. Will it be more of the same in the Men’s draw, or will the breed of young talent shine through? And in the women’s draw, the question is who can stop Swiatek? Come the 29th of January the world will have the answer.
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If you are new to placing bets on tennis you might furthermore be interested in our tennis betting guide. From outright winners to the tournament winner, it’s time to place your bets.
