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Australian Open 2024: Unveiling the top contenders and stats for the ATP singles league  
Xinhua

The 2024 tennis season has kicked off with the United Cup and the Brisbane International. The top names in the tennis world took part in these two tournaments before they started their preparations for the year’s first Grand Slam- the 2024 Australian Open. While Novak Djokovic represented Serbia in the United Cup, Rafael Nadal played at the Brisbane International.

Now that the Australian Open is just a few days away, the focus entirely shifts to the year’s first Grand Slam. Like every year, the anticipation and excitement for the tournament is unmatched. While Rafael Nadal fans are disappointed about the Spanish ace missing the Grand Slam tournament, there are many more positives to look at for tennis fans. 

The rivalry between Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will come alive again. The top-ranked players will go for a neck-to-neck battle before the ultimate champion is declared after two weeks.

Who are the favorites to lift Men’s Singles Title at 2024 Australian Open?

While there is no absolute prediction about who can win the title at the 2024 Australian, below are a few of the names that are surely the favorites considering their track record.

1. Novak Djokovic

A te-time Australian Open champion, 24-time Grand Slam champion, and the top-ranked player in the world, Novak Djokovic has done enough to be counted among the title contenders for any tournament he plays in and the 2024 Australian Open is no exception.

The Serbian ace, aged 37, won the title in Melbourne upon his comeback to the tournament last year. Apart from the Australian Open, Djokovic also managed to win the French Open and then the US Open. An eighth ATP Finals title was also added to his achievements list.

Now that the new season has kicked off, Novak Djokovic will begin the year as the top favorite to win the title in Melbourne. He will face a few tough challenges but the Serbian is expected to get the job done, like he always does.

2. Carlos Alcaraz

Spanish tennis ace Carlos Alcaraz has perfectly filled the void created by Rafael Nadal’s absence from the tour. Although Alcaraz has yet to achieve a lot before he is compared to the legend of the sport, the 21-year-old has shown that he possesses the ability to stay at the top for long.

Alcaraz managed to beat Novak Djokovic at the 2023 Wimbledon final to win his second career Grand Slam title. The Spaniard struggled to win anything big after that title but it was majorly due to some injury concerns with his foot. Now, after a much-needed break, Alcaraz will return to action and surely aim for nothing less than a title at the 2024 Australian Open.

3. Jannik Sinner

Jannik Sinner has been in some serious form in the past few months. In the latter half of the 2023 season, Sinner won a few titles including the Davis Cup. The Italian also reached the finals of the 2023 ATP Finals.

Sinner managed to trouble Djokovic at the ATP Finals and then finally beat the Serbian at the Davis Cup Finals. While Sinner has won ten tour-level titles so far, a Grand Slam title is still a dream for the Italian. Now that Sinner has spent some good time on the tour, he is expected to end the wait for his maiden Grand Slam title and the 2024 Australian Open might be the tournament where the historic moment is scripted.

4. Daniil Medvedev

Daniil Medvedev is among the top players on the ATP tour. The Russian ace won his maiden Grand Slam title at the 2021 US Open when he defeated Novak Djokovic in the final. While Medvedev has managed to win tour-level titles since then, a major title keeps eluding the Russian.

Medvedev came closer to winning his second Grand Slam title when he reached the finals at the 2022 Australian Open and 2023 US Open. But unfortunately for the Russian ace, he was pitted against Rafael Nadal and Djokovic. Nevertheless, Medvedev had a good run in 2023 wherein he won five titles and now as the year’s first Grand Slam kicks off within a week, Medvedev will be eyeing lifting his second major title.

5. Holger Rune

Holger Rune is a player with massive potential. However, injuries plagued the Danish ace in 2023. Also, Rune has only managed to win four tour-level titles in his career so far. Nevertheless, the 20-year-old does possess the skills to win a Grand Slam title.

Holger Rune looks to have regained his old self after partnering with Boris Becker. The Dane went deep into a couple of tournaments in the last leg of the 2023 season. Rune also qualified for the 2023 ATP Finals. Now, it is high time for the Danish ace to pull up his socks and go all bonkers when the 2024 Australian kicks off.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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