As the Australian summer heats up, in the vibrant metropolis of Melbourne, one of the sport's most fascinating tournaments comes to life: the Australian Open . It's more than a tournament. It's a ritual — an arena where power meets finesse, where the first Grand Slam of the year sets the tone for the rest of the season.
Here, people from all corners of the world gather to celebrate the beauty of tennis: fast serves that roar like sword strikes, graceful footwork like gladiators in battle, and mental duels that remind us of the athletes' unyielding will to fight for victory under blinding sun and intense heat.
The Australian Open traces its roots back to the early 1900s and has grown to become one of the cornerstones of the sport; from grass courts to today's hard courts at Melbourne Park — a place where both legends and up-and-coming stars make tennis history every year.
Playing on a team with the ground
In tennis, you have to match your playing style to the characteristics of the surface to get the most out of your betting slip. And here at the Australian Open, they are now playing on hard courts. But even though they have been doing so since 1988, the hard courts themselves have changed several times.
Today's hard court is a robust, acrylic-coated surface that provides a relatively high and predictable bounce, and is classified as medium-fast to fast. Hard courts provide less energy loss in the ball's bounce compared to clay, and the ball maintains speed and rhythm without false bounces — ideal for players with strong first serves and aggressive groundstrokes.
Like the grass at Wimbledon, the surface here in Melbourne can lead to short, intense points, where offensive baseliners, heavy serve players, and return specialists can all thrive. This allows a wide range of playing styles to succeed — but it especially favors those who dare to take the initiative early in the point.
Finally, it should be noted that the sand, which is mixed into the paint, is sanded away more and more after each match played. This makes the track faster as the tournament progresses. In addition, you should be aware that the surface slows down when temperatures drop and clouds appear, just as the speed increases in the scorching sun. So be aware of the time of the match. There are small margins, but in even matches this is enough to tip the match in your desired favor.
For more info about surfaces, playing styles and tips and tricks; check out our tennis guide here .
ATP – favorites and outsiders
On the men's side, it's hard to ignore Jannik Sinner. The Italian comes to Melbourne as the big favorite, and could win his third Australian Open in a row. If he does, he will join the exclusive company of Djokovic. The Serb won the Australian Open three times in a row twice, from 2011 to 2013 and from 2019 to 2021. But even though he has some time left before he catches up to Djoko, he has shown a rare ability to control fast hard courts, and with his combination of mental strength and minimal weaknesses, he is the complete hard court player.
And who can really challenge him? On all other courts, it's natural to say Carlos Alcaraz, but the Spaniard has actually never made it beyond the quarterfinals here in Melbourne. And Zverev was beaten in three sets last year, when he made it to the final.
Djokovic is in, but too old? Zverev is still chasing his first Grand Slam, but does he have what it takes? What about De Minaur on home soil? He also lacks that little extra? And we know the serve of both Taylor Fritz and Jakub Mensik will be difficult to break, but is that enough when Sinner is so good in the return game? Are we there that Medvedev is his biggest challenger? The Russian led 2-0 in sets in the final in 2024, before Sinner turned around and won 3-2.
Grand Slams tend to be very predictable. Alcaraz and Sinner were No. 1 and No. 2 last year, and also won all four Grand Slams. The challenge this time is that we have seen minimal of the two so far this year. A handful of exhibition matches are pretty much all there is since the ATP Finals back in November. But Alcaraz won 7-5, 7-6 in the last exhibition match in South Korea. Just circuses, or could it be a psychological advantage he brings into the tournament?
WTA – favorites and outsiders
Once we get to three in a row, we can't ignore Aryna Sabalenka. She could have done it last year, but stumbled, somewhat surprisingly, against Madison Keys. That makes, if possible, the Belarusian tiger even more dangerous this year. Because who can really match the world's best tennis player on the women's side?
Naomi Osaka has won the Australian Open twice before, and since taking on Iga Swiatek's ex-coach at the end of last year, she has looked really solid. But she didn't scare anyone in the United Cup, and few people give her any chance here.
Furthermore, one must mention Swiatek, Gauff, Rybakina and Anisimova, but they have little to show for it here in Melbourne, and few believe they can discipline the big favorite. Our outsider will be Mirra Andreeva. She is growing every year, and showed in Adelaide that she is ready for the Australian Open. And at 15 in odds, it is a ticket we take seven days a week.
Our Norwegian heroes
People will have to correct me if I'm wrong here, but I don't think we've had two Norwegians in a Grand Slam before. Casper Ruud is known to most, but those of us who have followed Nikolai Budkov Kjær over the past year know that we Norwegians have a lot to look forward to in the future.
The former is most comfortable on clay, but he has a US Open final to show for it, and we know he can. However, few are giving him the big chances this time. And when we know that he will face both Shapovalov and Shelton before a possible quarter-final against Sinner, this is probably not where Casper will take home the trophy.
For Budkov Kjær it's about learning. Even though he has won a Grand Slam as a junior (Wimbledon), this is something else. And already in the first round he will go out against the man with the heavy serve. Opelka moves poorly, in addition to being very rusty at the net, so there is hope, but we wouldn't be surprised if this one goes the American's way. Preferably with the help of a couple of tiebreaks.
Our betting tips
We promise betting tips every day, for two weeks, on our odds list , in addition to occasional analysis, but it's also fun to have some long-term bets. And we've asked our tennis experts if they could share some of their wisdom;
Patrick:
Medvedev is getting closer to his peak, and when he is at his peak, few can match him on hard court. To put that in perspective: Nakashima, who is one of the best movers on hard court, is a very difficult player to play against – he had no chance against Medvedev in Brisbane.
It's all about the mental aspect, which is an Achilles' heel for both Zverev and Medvedev. Zverev will get a tough test in the first match, against the up-and-coming Gabriel Diallo. I think he'll get through here – he can rely on his serve and backhand, and I think it'll be too much for Diallo. But it's not a given here. If it comes to the point where Medvedev and Zverev meet, I'm keeping a close eye on Medvedev.
Medvedev is underestimated in the return game, and then one of Zverev's two great strengths is eliminated. He is superior when it comes to backhand, but I think Medvedev will make up for that in the tactical part - here Medvedev is also underestimated. Spice it up with Medvedev's unorthodox, flat shots, a strong duck reserve, and the fact that he is approaching top form - and this will probably be a very difficult match for Zverev. Therefore, my bet is;
Winner of Q2: Daniil Medvedev (3.00)
Svein Inge:
I'm rooting for Patrick, and I also think Medvedev is one of this year's dark horses. But you can't underestimate last year's finalist; Alexander Zverev. The German, who could easily go down in history as the most successful tennis player never to win a Grand Slam, has a playing style that suits fast hard courts. He has reduced the number of double faults, he has a magical backhand and his serve is good enough to get him out of trouble.
As for Medvedev, Patrick has said what needs to be said. And the ones who could potentially ruin a German-Russian quarter-final are Rublev, Auger-Aliassime, Marozsan and Norrie, as I see it. And if Zverev gets past the first hurdle, which is a tough match against Diallo, then I think he will meet Medvedev at a later date. Therefore, I am making the following bets;
Will Zverev and Medvedev meet in the tournament? Yes (5.00)
Vebjorn:
Alcaraz enters as one of the world's best players and has won several Grand Slam titles in the past year. Although he has not yet had his big breakthrough week at the Australian Open, his form, physique and level point to this being the year.
The draw further strengthens the impression: he avoids both Djokovic and Sinner all the way to the final and is in a half that is smoother and less brutal than the other. With a hardcourt package tailored for long best-of-five matches and a stable top level heading into the season, he appears as a clear value play compared to the rest of the field.
Alcaraz to reach final (1.53)
Sinner enters the Australian Open as the two-time reigning champion and emerges as the tournament's most complete hardcourt player. He has delivered extreme consistency over the past two seasons and has a game that is perfectly suited to the conditions in Melbourne.
The draw gives him a smooth and manageable path forward with no obvious dangers until the very end, and the level he has shown over time makes it difficult to imagine a scenario where he doesn't go deep. Even with Alcaraz and Djokovic in the field, both form, rhythm and history clearly point in Sinner's favor - and when he is 1.73 to win the tournament, it is still fully playable based on pure quality and current level.
Odds to win (1.73)
This is a high-risk game, but one that actually has a real hold on the top. Auger-Aliassime has shown time and again that when he finds his rhythm, he can beat anyone on hard court – both through his serve pressure, his heavy first shots and his ability to keep a high tempo over long points. He has also previously delivered deep Grand Slam runs, and although his form has varied, his top level is still of a quality that can knock out big names when the timing is right.
The road to the finals obviously requires fluidity, a few good matchup hits and minimal injury problems, but it's players like him who suddenly have a week where everything just works out. When the odds are as high as 26.00, it's hard to ignore.
Auger-Aliassime to reach final (26.00)
Australian Open – where everything starts again
Ultimately, the Australian Open is about more than trophies, ranking points and statistics. It's about the moments that only tennis can create: the silence before a match point, the sound of a ball hitting the line, the look between two players who know everything is at stake.
In Melbourne, not only does a new season begin – new dreams, new heroes and new stories are born that will be told for years to come. Under the Australian sun, on the blue hard courts that glow in the summer heat, tennis history is written not just with rackets and sweat – but with courage, hope and the will to believe in the impossible.
The Australian Open is not just the first Grand Slam of the year. It's a promise that anything is still possible. Enjoy.
