Australian Open 2025: Top contenders for Men’s Singles title

With the new tennis season about to get underway, all eyes will be fixed on the first Grand Slam of 2025—the Australian Open.

Last year, the Slam at Melbourne Park witnessed a record crowd turnout both in the men’s and women’s categories. The Men’s Singles final was an absolute spectacle as World No. 1 Jannik Sinner came back from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev, clinching his first Grand Slam title in the process. 

The new season will bring new challenges for all players. It will be interesting to see which players hit the ground running and run away with the first of the coveted Grand Slam titles.

Here, we present to you our top eight picks for the 2025 Australian Open Men’s Singles title. 

Jannik Sinner

The World No. 1 ended the year on a high by winning the US Open and Nitto ATP Masters Finals, looking unbeatable on the hard courts. He is the defending champion at the Australian Open as well and looks most likely to conquer the hard courts at Melbourne. He managed to beat Novak Djokovic in the semis last year, which hadn’t been achieved in roughly a decade, and then came back from two sets down to take home his first Australian Open title in the final. 

The 23-year-old Italian is relentless in play. Armed with a decent serve, athleticism, balance, and great all-round play, Sinner is the player to beat right now. His only hindrance could be his off-court issues that may lead to a shock exit or a poor result, but apart from that he has been in prolific form over the past year and is our top pick to lift the trophy. 

Carlos Alcaraz

This is the only Grand Slam trophy missing from Carlos Alcaraz’s collection to make it a Career Slam at just 21 years of age. The young Spaniard is a sensational player and has a game suited to all kinds of surfaces. Alongside Sinner, he is another player who had an incredible season last time out as he won his first French Open title while also grabbing a second Wimbledon title. 

Alcaraz is one of the most exciting players to watch on the ATP Tour and has what it takes to even challenge and beat Sinner. He is a bundle of energy on the court and, just like his compatriot and idol Rafael Nadal, makes the opponents toil for every point, possessing exquisite drop shots and volleys as well. That said, he would want to improve his record at the Australian Open, where his best result so far has been reaching the quarters.

If he finds his touch on the hard court at the Rod Laver Arena, Alcaraz could very well take his first Australian Open title home and complete the Career Slam. 

Alexander Zverev

When Alexander Zverev broke onto the scene, there was a huge uproar in the tennis world regarding his ability and talent, with some even comparing him to the great Roger Federer. However, even though he has managed to break into the top 5 and has an Olympic Gold to his name, the 27-year-old is yet to prove his prodigious talent by adding a Grand Slam to his 23 career ATP titles. 

Zverev had a decent 2024 season, winning two ATP 1000 Masters titles and reaching his first Grand Slam final at Roland-Garros. He has performed consistently at all four Grand Slams and is another contender for the Australian Open crown this time round.

Zverev possesses in his armoury one of the most lethal serves on the men’s tour. Add to that a well-rounded game for both the baseline and the net, and we get a dangerous adversary for one and all. Maybe 2025 is the year Zverev finally ends his Grand Slam drought. 

Novak Djokovic

When talking about the contenders for the title, the ten-time Australian Open champion simply cannot be ignored. Even though he had a fairly dismal 2024 season by his usually incredible standards, Novak Djokovic is the greatest player in tennis more so now that he has completed a career Golden Slam by claiming the vaunted Olympic Gold earlier in the year. 

The Serb looked sluggish on the courts both physically and mentally this year and was marred by injuries, but we all have witnessed his mental fortitude in play often enough to know he can go on to shrug off a poor season and come back roaring at his favourite tournament.

Although he is no longer in his prime and has to deal with far more athletic and mentally-strong opponents these days, Djokovic is far from finished. Anyone playing against him knows that the “Djoker” can make a comeback anytime. He may not be a sure-shot favourite to win the title, but write off the legend at your own peril. 

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Taylor Fritz

Taylor Fritz had an incredible ending to the 2024 season as he managed to reach his first Grand Slam final at the US Open and also the Nitto ATP Masters final, losing to Jannik Sinner on both occasions. He also won two ATP Titles and has reached a career-high World No. 4 ranking. He’s currently the topmost-ranked American player. 

Fritz has made remarkable improvements this year and now has the confidence to beat any top player. He already had a massive serve, fierce groundstrokes, and the ability to hold his nerve in difficult situations in his repertoire, but he has now improved his volleys and drop shots as well. The 27-year-old has already shown that he is comfortable on the hard courts and could very well cross the final hurdle at the Australian Open come January.

Daniil Medvedev

A three-time consecutive finalist at the Australian Open, Daniil Medvedev is one of the most consistent players on the hard courts. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to cross the final hurdle here at Melbourne Park, but this season could be different. 

Medvedev did not have a great 2024. He didn’t manage to win a single ATP title, even though his performances at the Grand Slams were fairly consistent as he reached the finals at the Australian Open, the semis at Wimbledon, and the quarters at the US Open. Moreover, he can’t be underestimated as he has a near-flawless game at the hard courts. With his big serve and powerful ground strokes, the Russian is a dangerous opponent for anyone on his day. 

Alex de Minaur

A home-crowd favourite, Alex de Minaur is another player to watch out for at the Australian Open. Currently ranked World No. 9, he started the 2024 season well but kind of fizzled out at the end with a couple of injuries. However, he debuted at the Nitto ATP Finals and became the first Aussie to compete in the finals since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004. 

De Minaur is known for his speed and agility on the court. Athleticism and defensive ability define him well, while similar to Sir Andy Murray he utilises the counter-punching technique by defending and building points before going for his winners.

The 25-year-old beat higher-ranked players last season; backed by a vociferous Australian crowd, he could very well follow in Hewitt’s footsteps and make his way to an Australian Open title this season.

Andrey Rublev

The temperamental Russian is perhaps also the most emotional player on the ATP tour at the moment. He isn’t just limited to antics, however, and has also been one of the most consistent players over the years.

Rublev’s challenges seem more mental than physical. His inability to hold his nerve and control his emotions has led to his downfall quite often, though he has a decent record in the ATP Tour with a career 16 ATP titles and has managed to beat higher-ranked players in the past. He has also qualified for the year-end ATP Finals for five years in a row. 

Armed with an attacking style, the 27-year-old Russian can surprise opponents with his thunderous forehands and baseline play. In addition, he is quite athletic on the court and can play defensive tennis too, if needed. Moreover, the hard court is one of his favoured surfaces. This could be the season he raises his standards to another level, starting with a surprise Australian Open triumph.