The draw has been revealed for the 2020 Australian Open and while the women\u2019s side is wide open, the main question for the men is will someone outside the Big 3 \u2013 Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, or Roger Federer \u2013 will win a major championship? Let\u2019s take a closer look and see if we should expect a changing of the guard in Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2019: NOVAK DJOKOVIC Novak Djokovic is the obvious favorite as if he\u2019s on his game, nobody is going to beat him. He soundly defeated Rafael Nadal in straight sets in the final round of the ATP Cup, leading Serbia over Spain for the title and also beat another top-four player, Daniil Medvedev of Russia, in the semifinals. Djokovic, between singles and doubles, won all eight matches he played at the ATP Cup and played great tennis. He is obviously prepared for this tournament and did not seem to be physically hampered at all. That\u2019s really the only thing to be concerned about. If he\u2019s healthy, he has everything lined up to win the event. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The other key here is he got a very reasonable draw, for reasons which will be explained in the other sections below. The only real threat to Djokovic before the semifinal round is Stefanos Tsitsipas, whom he could face in the quarterfinals. Djokovic did lose to Roger Federer at the ATP Finals in November, but the chances that Federer will beat Djokovic in consecutive matches are very low. The odds rest with Djokovic in Melbourne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The player who could surprise everyone and win the title is Dominic Thiem. He could play Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals and while Nadal would be favored in that match if it happened, Thiem very nearly defeated Nadal in the quarterfinals of the 2018 U.S. Open. That marked one of the first matches in Thiem\u2019s career in which he played an elite player at a high level on hardcourts. He\u2019s typically been a weaker player on the hardcourts as his game is better suited for clay. After that match, he steadily improved on hardcourts and he carried that improvement into 2019 when he won his first Masters 1000 championship on hardcourts in Indian Wells, beating Federer in the final. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thiem has a legitimate chance of beating Nadal here in Australia, partly because Nadal played a lot of tennis at the ATP Cup and could be worn down later in the tournament. Thiem and his Austrian side lost early in the ATP Cup, meaning that Thiem did not exhaust his body with a large number of matches. If you\u2019re looking for a non-Big 3 dark horse, Thiem is the guy that could make his way through Nadal in the quarters and then Medvedev in the semifinals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Nadal won the U.S. Open, but as we know, what happens in New York generally doesn\u2019t carry over to Melbourne, where Nadal has won the Australian Open only one time. Nadal has also played a lot of tennis as noted above. When he loads up on hardcourt tennis, a knee injury is often just around the corner. Because Nadal has received a list of tough opponents in the second week of the tournament \u2013 Nick Kyrgios or Karen Khachanov in the fourth round, Thiem in the quarterfinals, Medvedev in the semis, and Djokovic in a possible final \u2013 his path to a title is far more difficult than the other top contenders. Nadal winning this tournament is not a great bet to make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Get the latest tennis odds and information–follow BetOnline.ag on Twitter<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2018: ROGER FEDERER
2017: ROGER FEDERER
2016: NOVAK DJOKOVIC
2015: NOVAK DJOKOVIC<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nTHE FAVORITE<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
THE DARK HORSE<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
WHOM NOT TO TRUST<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n