If 2015 was of any indication, then 2016 will be one hell of an explosive season when the tennis Grand Slam season starts off Down Under. The Australian Open will jump start off the festivities with the best players in the world. [sc:AUS15-250 ]Men’s Singles is looking hot right now with the Big Four set to return. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic leads the four-headed monster with Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal tailing him.
While the Big Four take up most of the spotlight, there are some viable contenders who could steal their thunder. Stan Wawrinka continues his rise to the top after a successful 2015. The Australian Open’s hard court could also have a powerful underdog rise to the occasion.
Read on for everything you need to know heading into the Australian Open’s Men’s Singles draw. If you want some more tennis action flavouring your month, take a look at our complete preview for the Women’s Singles draw.
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2016 Australian Men’s Singles Preview
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Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic is the deserving favorite to win the 2016 Australian Open. He’s the world No. 1; he’s won five Australian Open titles in the past eight years; and has won 89.29 percent of his matches in the Grand Slam tournament. His dominance has him as the biggest favorite in the Men’s Singles draw at -120.
[sc:Other240banner ]Djokovic is entering this year after a very solid 2015. He won 84 of 91 matches last year, reaching the final in 15 of 16 ATP events he joined. Djokovic won 11 titles, including three in Grand Slam tournaments (Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open) last year. He’s set to jumpstart this year with another title Down Under.
Andy Murray
Andy Murray (+550) has finished as the runner-up in four of the last six Australian Opens. Murray may finally break through and win the Australian Open this time around if he continues to improve as much as he did in the previous year. He had his best season ever, winning 77 of 91 matches in 2015.
Murray won 34 of 42 matches on hard surfaces last season, winning four of seven ATP Singles finals. But before Murray can get a taste of an Australian Open title, he’ll need to get past Novak Djokovic or hope that the Serb gets upset earlier in the tournament. The Scot lost six of seven matches against Djokovic last season.
Roger Federer
Don’t count out Roger Federer despite his age (33). He still has the goods and could be the man to upset defending champion Novak Djokovic. Federer bested the world No. 1 three times on hard-court in 2015. He also defeated Djokovic in the semifinal of both Wimbledon and the Cincinnati Masters last season.
Federer is no stranger to the bright lights of the Australian Open. He’s won the tournament four times in his career, which makes him a solid bet at +650 to win his 18th Grand Slam title.
Sleepers
Rafael Nadal
None of the Big Four have had a tougher 2015 than Rafael Nadal. He lost more than 20 matches in a single season for the first time since 2003. He also had a couple of unceremonious early losses in Grand Slams, bowing down to Dustin Brown in the second round at Wimbledon before losing against Fabio Fognini in the third round of the U.S. Open.
But a return to Melbourne may be what Nadal needs to revitalize his career. He has reached the final in two of his last three appearances in the tournament in 2012 and 2014 (he didn’t compete in 2013 due to injury). Nadal is +900 to make a splash in 2016 with an Australian Open title.
Stan Wawrinka
Even at 30 years old Stan Wawrinka is making waves on the way to the top of the tennis world. Wawrinka is an intriguing bet at +1,000 to win 2016’s first Grand Slam. He won his first Grand Slam in 2014, beating Novak Djokovic, Tomas Berdych and Rafael Nadal to grab the Australian Open title.
Wawrinka is also entering this tournament off a strong 2015. He reached the semifinal round of the Australian and U.S. Opens and won Roland Garros by upsetting both Nadal and Djokovic. Expect the Swiss player to make waves Down Under in 2016’s first Grand Slam tournament.
Long Shot
Nick Kyrgios
Despite being just 20 years old, Aussie Nick Kyrgios could contend with the top of the Men’s Singles draw if he weren’t such a head case. Kyrgios had some high-profile meltdowns in 2015 such as talking trash to Stan Wawrinka, taking sets off against Richard Gasquet and the like. But when he’s on, Kyrgios is a handful for any player out there. He already has two quarterfinal appearances in Grand Slams (2014 Wimbledon and 2015 Australian Open).
Kyrgios started 2016 right with a victory over world No. 2 Andy Murray at the Hopman Cup. Although the match took place in the warm-up event to the Australian Open, a victory like that should give the young lion plenty of confidence ahead of the year’s first Grand Slam. Kyrgios is a hot pick at +5,000to win his first Grand Slam title on his home soil.
Writer’s Prediction
There’s no stopping Novak Djokovic (-120) from winning his fifth Australian Open title in the past six years. Create a betting account now and win big on an explosive start to the Grand Slam season.
