Australian Open Tips, Predictions & Preview

Andrew Hendrie: Mar 17, 2022

Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas are among the leading contenders for the men's title with nine-time champion Novak Djokovic missing from action, while World No. 1 Ash Barty and two-time winner Naomi Osaka lead the women's field as the 2022 Australian Open takes place at Melbourne Park from January 17-30.

Expert tips, predictions and daily best bets for the 2022 Australian Open, live from Melbourne Park.

Who will win the Australian Open in 2022?

The 2022 Australian Open will be staged between January 17-30 as the world’s best players return to Melbourne in search of a coveted Grand Slam title.

Naomi Osaka returns to defend her title, but nine-time champion Novak Djokovic won’t have a chance to make history this year at Melbourne Park after being deported.

We will provide daily best bets and multis for the 2022 Australian Open, along with our predictions and tips for the outright winner.

Australian Open Tips Today | Best Bets

Australian Open Tips for Sunday January 30

Daniil Medvedev vs Rafael Nadal: Medvedev win & both players win a set at $2.50 with bet365

The 2022 Australian Open draws to a close with a massive men’s singles final as second seed Daniil Medvedev attempts to deny Rafael Nadal a shot at history on Sunday night. Nadal is of course aiming to become the first man to win 21 slam singles titles, but Medvedev also has a chance to make a new record in becoming the first man in the Open Era to win their second major immediately after their first. Nadal has wound back the clock to have a chance for his first Australian Open title since 2009, but he was somewhat fortunate to see the two men who likely would have beat him in the quarter-finals and semi-finals – Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic – exit the tournament.

Matteo Berrettini in the semi-finals was a magnificent match-up for Nadal, with his topspin forehand going directly into the Italian’s weaker backhand side. The difference for the final: Medvedev’s strength is his backhand and the Russian simply doesn’t miss from the baseline. He’s got the perfect balance of consistency and firepower when he chooses to unload. Medvedev has dropped sets throughout the tournament, but when push comes to shove, he’s been absolutely sensational, refusing to give an inch from the back of the court.

Overall, Medvedev has the edge. He pushed Nadal in the 2019 US Open final to five sets and is a far better player today, while Nadal has lost a step. Three years later, Medvedev should be too strong. I just can’t see how Nadal breaks down the Russian over the course of five sets on hardcourt unless Medvedev has an absolute shocker. The World No. 2 is a major champion now and has experience of denying opponents an 21st major after beating Djokovic in straight sets in New York last year. This is Medvedev’s time and I think he gets the job done in four or five sets.

Australian Open Daily Multi Tips

Our tennis expert will release his ‘Best Multi’ 🏆 and ‘Value Multi’ 💰 for every day of the tournament. We will list our ‘Best Multi’ on this page, but be sure to check out and bookmark this page for all of our other Australian Open multi tipping predictions and the reasoning behind each selection.

Australian Open Multi Tips for Friday January 28

Australian Open Outright Tips & Predictions (men)

Who will win the men’s Australian Open in 2022?

(NOTE: This piece was written before Novak Djokovic was ruled out of the tournament.)

After a build-up like no other, the 2022 Australian Open is finally set to begin on Monday – and at the time of writing, World No. 1 and nine-time champion Novak Djokovic is in the draw as the top seed.

Djokovic is basically unbeatable in Melbourne, and if he had experienced a standard preparation, you simply can’t bet against him.

However, it’s obviously been the furthest thing from standard – and although he only spent a couple of nights detained, the looming threat of being deported at any given moment has got to be on his mind. Djokovic must be physically and mentally exhausted before the tournament has even started.

There’s a chance Djokovic uses all the negativity as fuel to bring a 10th Australian Open and record 21st Grand Slam title back to Serbia, but – and this can be easy to forget – the man is human and the events of the last week have surely affected him to some extent.

As a result, my top two favourites to win the title – World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev and World No. 3 Alexander Zverev, both of whom had excellent finishes to 2021 and have recent wins over Djokovic in big matches.

Medvedev, who went down to Djokovic in last year’s Australian Open final, avenged that defeat by crushing the Serbian in straight sets in the US Open final to pick up his maiden major, while Zverev toppled the World No. 1 en route to Olympic gold in Tokyo.

If the draw remains as it is – it will chop and change if Djokovic is removed – then Medvedev is in pole position.

The Russian has what should be a straightforward opener against Henri Laaksonen and while a second round date with Nick Kyrgios appears daunting on paper, we must remember the enigmatic Aussie hasn’t won a match since July, hasn’t played since the US Open and is currently recovering from COVID-19. Medvedev shouldn’t have any trouble at all.

Should he make the quarter-finals, Medvedev is seeded to face compatriot and good friend Andrey Rublev, who he has a 4-1 record against and has defeated in straight sets in two previous Grand Slam meetings – including in the last eight at the 2021 Australian Open.

Stefanos Tsitsipas could be waiting in the semi-finals, but the Greek underwent elbow surgery in the off-season and wasn’t convincing at all during the ATP Cup. It will be tough for Tsitsipas to win seven best-of-five matches to win his first major in Melbourne.

Jannik Sinner is the dangerous floater in this section and it wouldn’t surprise me if he advanced to the semis in the bottom half of the draw – but it would surprise me if he beat Medvedev to make the final.

Djokovic actually has the perfect draw to ease himself into the tournament during the first week – in fact, under normal circumstances, I’d fully expect him to advance to the semis without dropping a set. He might still do it, but things will heat up in the final four with a seeded clash with either Zverev or Rafael Nadal.

Zverev’s first real test will come in the R16 against recent ATP Cup champion Denis Shapovalov, but if gets through that, I expect him to come out on top against Nadal in a potential quarter-final. Zverev has won three of his last four meetings with Nadal and the last two on hardcourt without dropping a set.

Nadal hasn’t won the Australian Open since 2009 and whatever slim chance he has diminishes with each passing year. The Spaniard could be in trouble in the second round against an injury-free Thanasi Kokkinakis and if he survives that, powerful ball-strikers like Karen Khachanov and Hubert Hurkacz are lurking. I think the quarter-finals is as far as Nadal’s AO journey goes.

Zverev has a very real chance of taking out Djokovic in the semi-finals – he’s won two of their last three meetings, including their last clash at the ATP Finals as he went on to win the title, but obviously doing it over best-of-five in Melbourne is a different challenge.

It could just be a fresh Medvedev will be waiting to feat on whoever makes it out of the much more loaded top half of the draw, and it’s for that reason I’m tipping the Russian to win a second straight major title.

Favourites

Medvedev – Best odds $3.00 with Unibet
Zverev – Best odds $4.50 with Unibet

Dark Horses

Jannik Sinner – Best odds $41 with Unibet
Felix Auger-Aliassime – Best odds $81 with TAB
Denis Shapovalov – Best odds $126 with TAB

Outsiders

Andy Murray – Best odds $151 with TAB
Roberto Bautista Agut – Best odds $251 with TAB

Australian Open Outright Tips & Predictions (women)

Who will win the women’s Australian Open in 2022?

Another Grand Slam, another wildly unpredictable women’s draw where any number of about 20 players have genuine claims to take home the title.

Undoubtedly, the biggest takeaway from the draw is a potential blockbuster fourth round showdown between World No. 1 Ash Barty and defending champion Naomi Osaka. One of those players will be sent packing before at least the quarter-finals, but neither is automatically assured to make it to the R16.

Osaka has the likes of Dayana Yastremska, Amanda Anisimova and Belinda Bencic to think about before the fourth round. Bencic in particular could throw a spanner in the works – the Swiss has won all four previous meetings between the pair, with Osaka winning just one set during that period. Bencic has won all three encounters on hardcourt, going 6-0 in sets.

Meanwhile, Barty’s first two rounds should be nothing to worry about, but the hugely powerful Camila Giorgi is more than capable of upsetting her rhythm in the third round. I’d expect the winner of Barty-Osaka (if that match does indeed eventuate) to make the final, with Barbora Krejcikova, Maria Sakkari, Ons Jabeur and Paola Badosa the other top seeds in this half of the draw.

But, as with the men’s draw, I’m backing the champion to emerge from the bottom half.

My three main contenders include Garbine Muguruza, Anett Kontaveit and Simona Halep – and I’ll also be keeping a close eye on Daria Kasatkina as well.

I’ll get to the top three contenders shortly, but Kasatkina has an excellent chance in an open fourth quarter. World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka was in absolute shambles in Adelaide and was forced to resort to underarm serving in a very concerning performance. It’s doubtful Sabalenka – who has struggled with the pressure and expectation at slams before – can correct those wrongs in a week.

No. 7 seed Iga Swiatek is certainly capable, but I still have some reservations on the Polish star and if she’s good enough right now to beat the world’s best on hardcourt at a slam. She had a difficult 2021 and hasn’t built up the form to challenge for a second major at this stage. If Kasatkina can take her out in the third round, the Russian has an excellent chance to reach the semis.

Kasatkina has won seven of her last eight matches at the time of writing before a scheduled quarter-final with Muguruza in Sydney and returned to her best tennis in 2021. The next step is going deep at a slam and this is a fantastic chance.

But for me, Muguruza and Kontaveit stand out from the bottom half, while Halep is definitely a chance after winning a lead-up title at the Melbourne Summer Classic.

Muguruza is a former finalist at the Australian Open, has experience of winning two majors on the clay of Roland Garros and grass of Wimbledon – and most importantly, is coming off a triumphant WTA Finals campaign at the end of 2021, where she beat Kontaveit in the final.

So often the WTA Finals can act as a springboard for early success the next season and Muguruza has all the tools, weapons, mentality and experience to go all the way in Melbourne.

Kontaveit is also a genuine contender – the Estonian has worked her way into the top 10 on the back of winning 16 of her last 18 matches, with Muguruza the only player to beat her since mid-October at the time of writing. Kontaveit has been threatening to break through for years and now that she’s done it, a big run at a slam is the next logical step in a career that could explode in 2021.

As for Halep, the Romanian is a former champion at the Australian Open and looked good as she picked up a title on Rod Laver Arena last week. Going all the way might be a step too far after an injury-riddled 2021, but you never know – if the draw opens up and things go her way, a healthy Halep in the second week of a slam is someone nobody wants to play.

Overall, whoever wins a potential Barty vs Osaka fourth round will be confident of reaching the final, but there’s certainly genuine value in backing a Muguruza or Kontaveit to go all the way in the bottom half and we’re leaning with the Spaniard to pick up from where she left off last season.

Favourites

Muguruza – Best odds $13 with Unibet
Kontaveit – Best odds $16 with Unibet
Barty – Best odds $3.85 with Ladbrokes
Osaka – Best odds $7.50 with Ladbrokes

Dark Horses

Halep – Best odds $15 with Ladbrokes
Kasatkina – Best odds $81 with Ladbrokes
Bencic – Best odds $67 with Ladbrokes
Jabeur – Best odds $51 with Ladbrokes

Outsiders

Gauff – Best odds $24 with Unibet
Rybakina – Best odds $21 with Ladbrokes
Fernandez – Best odds $41 with Unibet

Australian Open Seeds

MEN

1. 🇷🇸 Novak Djokovic
2. 🇷🇺 Daniil Medvedev
3. 🇩🇪 Alexander Zverev
4. 🇬🇷 Stefanos Tsitsipas
5. 🇷🇺 Andrey Rublev
6. 🇪🇸 Rafael Nadal
7. 🇮🇹 Matteo Berrettini
8. 🇳🇴 Casper Ruud
9. 🇨🇦 Felix Auger-Aliassime
10. 🇵🇱 Hubert Hurkacz
11. 🇮🇹 Jannik Sinner
12. 🇬🇧 Cameron Norrie
13. 🇦🇷 Diego Schwartzman
14. 🇨🇦 Denis Shapovalov
15. 🇪🇸 Roberto Bautista Agut
16. 🇨🇱 Cristian Garin
17. 🇫🇷 Gael Monfils
18. 🇷🇺 Aslan Karatsev
19. 🇪🇸 Pablo Carreno Busta
20. 🇺🇸 Taylor Fritz
21. 🇬🇪 Nikoloz Basilashvili
22. 🇺🇸 John Isner
23. 🇺🇸 Reilly Opelka
24. 🇬🇧 Daniel Evans
25. 🇮🇹 Lorenzo Sonego
26. 🇧🇬 Grigor Dimitrov
27. 🇭🇷 Marin Cilic
28. 🇷🇺 Karen Khachanov
29. 🇫🇷 Ugo Humbert
30. 🇿🇦 Lloyd Harris
31. 🇪🇸 Carlos Alcaraz
32. 🇦🇺 Alex de Minaur

WOMEN

1. 🇦🇺 Ashleigh Barty
2. 🇧🇾 Aryna Sabalenka
3. 🇪🇸 Garbiñe Muguruza
4. 🇨🇿 Barbora Krejcikova
5. 🇬🇷 Maria Sakkari
6. 🇪🇪 Anett Kontaveit
7. 🇵🇱 Iga Swiatek
8. 🇪🇸 Paula Badosa
9. 🇹🇳 Ons Jabeur
10. 🇷🇺 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
11. 🇺🇸 Sofia Kenin
12. 🇰🇿 Elena Rybakina
13. 🇯🇵 Naomi Osaka
14. 🇷🇴 Simona Halep
15. 🇺🇦 Elina Svitolina
16. 🇩🇪 Angelique Kerber
17. 🇬🇧 Emma Raducanu
18. 🇺🇸 Coco Gauff
19. 🇧🇪 Elise Mertens
20. 🇨🇿 Petra Kvitova
21. 🇺🇸 Jessica Pegula
22. 🇨🇭 Belinda Bencic
23. 🇨🇦 Leylah Fernandez
24. 🇧🇾 Victoria Azarenka
25. 🇷🇺 Daria Kasatkina
26. 🇱🇻 Jelena Ostapenko
27. 🇺🇸 Danielle Collins
28. 🇷🇺 Veronika Kudermetova
29. 🇸🇮 Tamara Zidansek
30. 🇮🇹 Camila Giorgi
31. 🇨🇿 Marketa Vondrousova
32. 🇪🇸 Sara Sorribes Tormo