Australian Open Men's Singles: Impossible to ignore favourites but 100/1 shot may give us a run

• Alcaraz and Sinner the duo to beat

• Value on Betfair's Alcaraz Oddsboost

• 66/167.00 Felix showing form

You could make a convincing case for any one of a handful of players winning this year's women's Australian Open - read my early thoughts on the women's tournament here - however, at the top of the men's game it would be a surprise if anyone other than the sport's top two leave Melbourne as champion.

In 2024 the new guard of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz shared the four Grand Slam titles between them. Before a ball is struck in 2025 they are clear favourites to share these honours once again.

At 7/52.40 hard court supremo Sinner is a justified favourite for the Australian Open, and the hypertalented Alcaraz 16/54.20 his most likely challenger.

Of course things can change very quickly in tennis. After all, this time last year Novak Djokovic was odds-on to win an 11th Australian Open title. However, unlike the Serbian great both Sinner and Alcaraz have only just entered their prime years and they are a comfortable distance ahead of the chasing pack.

Sinner stranglehold

Last year I saw the Sinner breakthrough ahead of time, selecting him at 13/27.50 to go all the way. His price is considerably shorter this time round.

In addition to bagging both hard court Slams last year the Italian also claimed Masters titles on this surface in Miami, Shanghai and Cincinnati and the ATP Finals in Turin. He is undisputedly the player to beat in Melbourne, and that is reflected in his 7/52.40 price.

However, there is a test of character for him to navigate this season as he attempts to repeat the form of his previous season and for the very first time defend Grand Slam honours.

There is also the challenge of overcoming his chief rival Alcaraz, who defeated Sinner in all three of their 2024 meetings, two of which were on Sinner's beloved hard courts. The only other hard court defeat of Sinner's season was to Andrey Rublev in Montreal, and on that occasion he was struggling with a hip injury.

The clear difference between Sinner and Alcaraz is consistency. While Alcaraz is in my opinion the most talented player of his generation, he can have off days. If he can find his form more consistently then he is very capable of denting Sinner's apparent hard court stranglehold.

Alcaraz oddsboost

One of those poor performances arrived at last year's Australian Open when Alcaraz's inconsistency was fully exploited by steady Eddie, Alexander Zverev.

However, there is no good reason why Alcaraz won't show up this year. He has won every Grand Slam title except the Australian Open, and Betfair Sportsbook are offering an appealing 7/24.50 oddsboost on the Spaniard to complete his collection.

Unlike the rest of the field he knows how to beat Sinner and should he avoid shooting himself in the foot before the latter stages there is good value in that Alcaraz outright position.

Zverev elbow issues

Despite Sinner and Alcaraz ruling the roost, they are separated in the rankings by world number two Zverev.

The German may not possess the high gears of the aforementiomned duo but he is hyperconsistent and lies in wait - as he did with Alcaraz last year - should their standards drop.

Zverev was a semi-finalist in 2024, repeating his 2020 effort, and is desperately searching for a first Grand Slam title. At 9/110.00 I can understand why he might appeal to some, but I fancy his chances better on other surfaces.

Furthermore since arriving in Australia he has complained of ongoing elbow pain. He also picked up a fresh bicep injury that caused him to withdraw from his final match at the United Cup.

Can Djokovic win 11th title?

In pre-season Novak Djokovic caused a stir in revealing his career long adversary Andy Murray as his coach for the Australian Open.

As exciting as this partnership appears at first glance, you do have to wonder the logic behind it. Murray has only recently retired and missed the first tournament of the season in Brisbane in preference for a skiing holiday.

At that tournament Djokovic lost to Reilly Opelka, who although played very well, was injured for much of the past few years and was ranked 293rd in the rankings before their match.

Djokovic showed good bursts of form in Brisbane over a short period of time, but the defeat shows that this is not the Novak of old. The 4/15.00 on offer is an optimistic opinion of Djokovic's chances and current standing in the game.

Hard court pedigree of Fritz and Medvedev

In 2024, Taylor Fritz took his game to new heights in reaching his first Grand Slam final at the US Open.

The American has found a very useful formula to put himself into contention at the biggest hard court events. He is an elite server and plays a highly disciplined brand of secure, baseline tennis.

The world number four is capable of going on a run in Melbourne at 22/123.00 but he doesn't have the tools to beat Alcaraz or Sinner and could be vulnerable to a player in inspired form - the likes of which typically appear at the start of the tennis season.

Daniil Medvedev on the other hand has been incredibly consistent over recent years at the biggest hard court events. The Russian has three Australian Open finals on his CV and was a set away from defeating Sinner in last year's final.

However, a chronic shoulder injury blunted his serving prowess throughout 2024, and he ran out of ideas in how to beat both Sinner and Alcaraz losing seven times to the golden duo.

On the face of it 14/115.00 is appealing for a multiple time major finalist but there is plenty of reason to oppose him this time round.

Felix in fine form

Although the season is only a week old, I've been able to watch most players.

One of the standout performers has been Felix Auger-Aliassime, who despite a one win, one loss record showed a great level for the most part.

The Canadian had been on the losing end against Taylor Fritz in both of their previous meetings. However, he was able to capture a win from a set and break down against the American by producing a level of tennis that his world number four opponent was unable to replicate.

There have been many false dawns with Felix but if he produces that level more often the former world number six has the tools and potential to be a contender. 100/1101.00 is big enough to chance on Auger-Aliassime piecing it together this time around.

High-potential players to keep an eye on

Beyond the main pack there are several high-potential players at a range of longer prices that could have a good tournament if the stars align.

At the 2024 US Open, Britain's Jack Draper advanced to a first Grand Slam semi-final. His preparation for this event has been impacted by injury, but he is on track to become a top 10 player this year and if his fitness holds up can deliver good value for 45/146.00.

Czechia's Tomas Machac has started this season with a bang, delivering dynamic and attacking tennis that could set him up for a strong tournament. He retired due to cramps in his final United Cup match against Taylor Fritz but his level was exceptional. At 100/1101.00 Machac is very dangerous.

At 475/1 Machac's compatriot Jakub Mensik will become a Grand Slam contender in the not too distant future. The 19-year old wonderkid has everything in his game to become a major champion. His ceiling is extremely high and won't be at such sizeable odds in future events.

Now read my preview of the women's singles at the Australian Open