The 2024 Australian Open is underway and unsurprisingly Novak Djokovic is many pundits’ favourite to win again this year – he is after all unbeaten at Melbourne Park since 2018.
World No 1 Djokovic is gunning for a record-extending 11th title at Melbourne Park and victory will also help him to move to 25 Grand Slams.
There are several pretenders to his throne with Carlos Alcaraz second behind Djokovic in the ATP Rankings, Daniil Medvedev is a self-declared hard-court specialist and has two runners-up trophies in Australia while Jannik Sinner is on the rise.
Alcaraz, meanwhile, is also the only player other than Djokovic and Rafael Nadal to have won a major since the start of the 2022 season as he won the 2022 US Open and Wimbledon last year.
But despite Alcaraz’s success, none of EPSN’s experts believe he will win this year’s Australian Open as the majority went for Djokovic while three pundits opted for Sinner.
A total of 10 pundits were asked “Who do you think will win the men’s singles title and why?”
Pam Shriver, Rennae Stubbs, Brad Gilbert, Bill Connelly, Tom Hamilton, D’Arcy Maine and Jake Michaels went with Djokovic while Patrick McEnroe, Jarryd Barca and Matt Walsh selected Sinner.
Italian star Sinner is one of the hottest properties on the ATP Tour as he defeated both Djokovic and Alcaraz during the latter half of the 2023 season with many feeling it is just a matter of time before he wins a Grand Slam.
“It’s time for Sinner. He had a great finish to 2023, and he’s ready to take the next step,” McEnroe said of his selection.
Barca said: “In 2024, it’s Sinner’s time. The 22-year-old appears primed to win a maiden Australian Open after a brilliant 2023 season, in which he won ATP titles in Toronto, Beijing and Vienna, and took care of Djokovic during Italy’s Davis Cup triumph in November.
“He’s reached at least a quarterfinal in every Grand Slam, gets his preferred court surface in Melbourne and, as we’ve seen time and again, has enough tools in his arsenal to topple the world’s best players under pressure.”
Doubles legend Shriver was pretty confident that Djokovic will win the title.
“How can you not pick the guy who has won 10 Australian Opens and came within one match of winning all four majors last year? Djokovic is the favourite, but Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune are waiting if his level drops,” he said.
Stubbs added: “Djokovic is the favourite again. There is no one better in a major than Djokovic, especially here in Melbourne. His record here is unmatched, and over five sets he will once again hold the trophy.”
It might be the “boring answer”, but Jack Michaels also can’t look past Djokovic for an 11th crown in Melbourne as it would be a “surprise” if he doesn’t win.
“Djokovic. Is it a boring answer? Maybe. But you don’t need to overthink this one,” he said. “Djokovic has dominated the first Slam of the year, hoisting the trophy 10 times and boasting a 95% win rate at Melbourne Park since 2008.
“There’s even more at stake than usual this year, with the chance at moving ahead of Margaret Court and into outright first for major singles titles. With his legacy and GOAT claims on the line, you’d almost be surprised if he didn’t win it.”
ESPN experts’ 2024 Australian Open winners:
Pam Shriver: Djokovic
Rennae Stubbs: Djokovic
Patrick McEnroe: Sinner
Brad Gilbert: Djokovic
Jarryd Barca: Sinner
Bill Connelly: Djokovic
Tom Hamilton: Djokovic
D’Arcy Maine: Djokovic
Jake Michaels: Djokovic
Matt Walsh: Sinner
Leave a Reply