Jack Draper, Holger Rune, and Arthur Fils have withdrawn from the Australian Open. Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from next week’s ATP 250 tournament in Adelaide, saying he is “not physically ready.” Joao Foseca missed the draw in Brisbane with a back injury. Taylor Fritz is battling knee tendonitis at the United Cup and has already lost to both Sebastian Baez and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
And we’re only one week into the new year.
For tennis fans hoping that some sort of newcomer – or veteran – could step up and challenge world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and No. 2 Jannik Sinner at the Aussie Open, the above development is not encouraging. If the top 10, top 20, and top 30 players are already dropping like flies, what will we be left with at Melbourne Park at the end of this month?
The good news is that despite the recent reign of Grand Slam titles enjoyed by Alcaraz and Sinner, men’s tennis boasts a lot of depth these days. Even with Draper, Rune, and Fils sidelined while Djokovic, Fonseca, and Fritz are sick, there are other outside title contenders on the list of potential contenders. In addition to betting on upcoming festivals in Melbourne, visit this site for the best crypto casino bonus hub for real bettors.
World No. 3 Alexander Zverev is a three-time Grand Slam winner, including last year’s Aussie Open (lost by Sinner). He has reached the semi-finals of six other majors, including Down Under in 2020 and 2024. As the third seed in Melbourne, Zverev is guaranteed to avoid both Alcaraz and Sinner until at least the semi-finals.
Daniil Medvedev is showing early signs in 2026 of turning the clock back to his former self. The 29-year-old Russian ended a 28-month drought by winning the Almaty event last fall to go along with semi-final showings in Beijing and Shanghai and a quarterfinal result in Paris. Medvedev started this season with straight wins over Marton Fucsovics and Frances Tiafoe in Brisbane. The former world No. 1 was runner-up at the Australian Open.
Ben Shelton doesn’t yet have the accolades of Zverev and Sinner, but the 23-year-old American’s high-scoring game makes him a threat on any day. When Shelton is on his best, he can beat anyone on tour. Conditions in Australia favored his game, and he advanced to the semi-finals there 12 months ago. In fact, world No. 8 loves any kind of big stage. He is also a US Open semifinalist (2023) and has reached other slam quarters (2023 Australian Open, 2025 Wimbledon).
Other long-shots to watch in Melbourne are Felix Auger-Aliassime, Lorenzo Musetti, and the talented but often obscure Alexander Bublik.
