The first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open is one of four tennis Slams in the calendar year. The event is often targeted as players return from injury and can be the start of a glorious campaign.
After a break over Christmas, the Australian Open is underway before we've remembered to start writing 2020 instead of 2019.
As with all Grand Slam events, the Australian Open includes various different tournaments from youth events and doubles through to the singles - we could see a few players who could break through on the Grand Slam stage in Melbourne.
The singles’ champions are obviously the most well-known, but it is often the doubles that is hardest to call ahead of the Australian Open.
Of the men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles winning pairings in 2019, five of the six were winning their first Australian Open.
Winning the Australian Open is the highlight of a tennis player’s career. This article tells you all you need to know about the 2020 edition, including some tennis betting tips…
When Is The 2020 Australian Open?
The tournament gets underway on 20th January and the men’s final takes place on 2nd February. Qualification matches will take place prior to this, however, and the schedule could be altered during the tournament fortnight if weather or over-running matches force changes.
The 2012 Australian Open final, played by two of tennis' big three in Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, was the longest Grand Slam final match ever played (by duration). To this day, it is still one of the greatest Australian Open matches of all-time.
Australian Open 2020: Where Is It?
The Australian Open is hosted in Melbourne, the most populous city in Australia. In 1988, the Australian Open moved to Melbourne Park, and became a hard court event rather than grass.
Two types of hard court have been used since 1988, with a change to a blue ‘Plexicushion’ hard court taking place in 2007.
It became the first Grand Slam to host indoor play, and its three main courts – Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and Melbourne Arena – all have retractable roofs that are used in poor weather or extremely hot conditions.
Over 780,000 people attended the 2019 Australian Open, making it the highest attended Grand Slam.
Australian Open 2020: Reigning Champions
Although the singles champions get all the attention, there are a lot of people returning to the Australian Open as defending champions.
Across the wheelchair singles, doubles and mixed doubles, men’s legends doubles, youth singles and doubles and men’s singles, doubles and women’s singles and doubles, there was a whopping 25 champions in 2019.
Novak Djokovic lifted his seventh title in Melbourne - and the latest Australian Open odds make Djokovic the favourite to win an eighth in 2020.
Meanwhile, up and coming superstar Naomi Osaka won her first Australian Open crown. Australian Mark Philippoussis and Frenchman Mansour Bahrami won the men’s legends.
Australian Open 2020: Betting
As ever, the men’s Australian Open market is dominated by the aforementioned big three. The women’s draw is comparatively wide open, however, with Serena Williams the 6/1 favourite.
Women's Australian Open Odds:
Serena Williams – 6/1
Bianca Andrescu – 7/1
Ashleigh Barty – 7/1
Simona Halep – 8/1
Naomi Osaka – 8/1
Elina Svitolina – 14/1
Petra Kvitova – 16/1
Karolina Pliskova – 16/1
Australian Open 2020 - Men's Betting:
Novak Djokovic – 6/4
Rafael Nadal – 3/1
Roger Federer – 6/1
Daniil Medvedev – 8/1
Stefanos Tsitsipas – 11/1
Dominic Thiem – 14/1
Alexander Zverev – 18/1
Andy Murray – 25/1
Australian Open 2020 With 888sport
Keep your eyes peeled for the latest tips, news and odds ahead of the 2020 Australian Open.
We are only a few weeks away from a tournament that could define careers, and may give us another key moment in the argument over the greatest ever tennis player.
Excited about the Aus open? You'll also get excited about the tennis odds at 888sport.com
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Kin Cheung / AP Photo*
