A look at some of the men to watch at the Australian Open, which starts at Melbourne Park on Sunday (Saturday night EST), with money-line odds via BetMGM Sportsbook:
Seeded: 1
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country:
Spain
Age: 22
Career Titles: 24
Grand Slam Titles: 6 — French Open (2: 2024, 2025), Wimbledon (2: 2023, 2024), U.S. Open (2: 2022, 2025)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2025-Lost in Quarterfinals, 2024-QF, 2023-Did Not Play, 2022-3rd, 2021-2nd
Aces: Trying to win his first title at Melbourne Park to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam. ... Has two trophies from each of the other three major tournaments but never past the quarterfinals in Australia. ... Recently split from longtime coach Juan Carlos Ferrero and is sticking with his other coach, Samuel Lopez, who reconstructed Alcaraz's service motion. ... 6-1 in major finals.
He Said It: “Obviously, it is important to start strong and show all the rest of the players that you are strong and you are playing well and you did an important preseason and that can show them, ‘OK, I’m ready to play a really good season.’”
Read All About It: Carlos Alcaraz's variety allows him to adapt from match to match
Odds Are:+150
Seeded: 2
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Italy
Age: 24
Career Titles: 24
Grand Slam Titles: 4 — Australian Open (2: 2024, 2025), U.S. Open (1: 2024), Wimbledon (1: 2025)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2025-Won Championship, 2024-W, 2023-4th, 2022-QF, 2021-1st
Aces: Reached the finals at each of the last five Grand Slam tournaments, winning three, including a year ago in Australia, where he was the champion for the second consecutive year. ... Since the start of 2024, Sinner is 2-7 against Alcaraz and 129-5 — a winning percentage of .963 — against everyone else. ... The Australian Open is his first event of 2026.
He Said It: “I’m going to aim to … be a bit more unpredictable as a player, because I think that’s what I have to do.”
Read All About It: Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have split the past eight Grand Slam titles
Odds Are: +100
Seeded: 4
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Serbia
Age: 38
Career Titles: 101
Grand Slam Titles: 24 — Australian Open (10: 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023), French Open (3: 2016, 2021, 2023), Wimbledon (7: 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022), U.S. Open (4: 2011, 2015, 2018, 2023)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2025-SF, 2024-SF, 2023-W, 2022-DNP, 2021-W
Aces: Still seeking to become the first player in tennis history with 25 Grand Slam singles trophies. ... His most recent major title came at the 2023 U.S. Open, the last time a man other than Sinner or Alcaraz won a major. ... In 2025, he reached the semifinals at all four Slams; in Australia, he was booed when he quit after one set in that round because of a torn hamstring. ... Withdrew from a tune-up event in Adelaide this month.
He Said It: “I can do only as much as I can do. Yeah, it will be very difficult for me, in the future, to overcome the hurdle of Sinner-Alcaraz in the best-of-five at the Grand Slams.”
Read All About It: Novak Djokovic vows not to give up on Grand Slam success
Odds Are: +1000
Seeded: 8
Career-Best Ranking: 5
Country: United States
Age: 23
Career Titles: 3
Grand Slam Titles: Zero — Best: Semifinals, Australian Open (2025), U.S. Open (2023)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2025-SF, 2024-3rd, 2023-QF, 2022-DNP, 2021-DNP
Aces: A big-serving left-hander who is at his most dangerous on hard courts. ... In Australia last year, made it to the semifinals before losing to eventual champion Sinner. ... Shelton criticized some of the questions and comments made by post-match TV interviewers at the Australian Open. Made his top 10 debut last June. ... Stopped playing at the U.S. Open because of an injured left shoulder. ... Reached Week 2 in six of his 13 career Grand Slam tournaments.
He Said It: “The media will keep, probably, asking questions and debating until (an American man wins a major title). I can’t wait for that to happen. Then we can kind of move on to a different question.”
Read All About It: Ben Shelton criticizes TV interviewers at the Australian Open
Odds Are: +1600
Seeded: 9
Career-Best Ranking: 4
Country: United States
Age: 28
Career Titles: 10
Grand Slam Titles: Zero — Best: Runner-Up, U.S. Open (2024)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2025-3rd, 2024-QF, 2023-2nd, 2022-4th, 2021-3rd
Aces: Still dealing with knee issues that bothered him last season. ... Led the ATP Tour in total aces in 2025 with more than 850 and averaged 11.7 per match. ... Has come the closest of any U.S. man to getting the first Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick's at the 2003 U.S. Open, making it to the final in New York in 2024 before losing to Sinner. ... Reached his second major semifinal at Wimbledon last season before losing to Alcaraz.
He Said It: “Last year was probably my best serving year, for sure. I felt like my serve has kept improving.”
Read All About It: American men have been getting closer to winning a major title
Odds Are: +2200
Ranked: 139 (Not Seeded)
Career-Best Ranking: 3
Country: Switzerland
Age: 40
Career Titles: 16
Grand Slam Titles: 3 — Australian Open (2014), French Open (2015), U.S. Open (2016)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2025-1st, 2024-1st, 2023-1st, 2022-DNP, 2021-2nd
Aces: Has said this will be his final season before retirement. ... Each of his three Grand Slam titles, including at the 2014 Australian Open, came via victories over the No. 1-ranked player in the final. ... Will be playing in the Australian Open for the 20th time but hasn't won a match there since 2021. ... His career was interrupted by operations on both knees and on his left foot.
He Said It: “After more than 20 years on tour, of course, it’s going to be really special playing all those tournaments that I play so many times for one last time.”
Read All About It: Stan Wawrinka elbowed his way into the top of tennis with 3 Slam titles
Odds Are: Not Listed
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Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich. More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
