The draw for the Australian Open was held on Thursday afternoon in Melbourne and the main-draw tournament begins on Sunday.
As always, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are the overwhelming favorites to lift the trophy. After all, they have shared every Grand Slam title since the start of the 2024 season – that’s eight in a row for those counting. Does anyone else have a chance Down Under? The odds would suggest otherwise, but guys like Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Ben Shelton, and Alexander Bublik can’t be completely discounted.
Here are my best bets on the men’s side for the 2026 Australian Open.
Carlos Alcaraz (+180)
At -120, Sinner is favored over the entire field. With Sinner working on tough courts, it’s hard to argue that the two-time defending champion is well-priced as such a heavy favorite. Alcaraz is probably a better choice, especially since the world No. 1 has arguably the best draw. His form in the first week is good, and Djokovic is in Sinner’s half. Although this Serbian player is over 38 years old, he is the champion of this tournament 10 times. He would much rather face Zverev, for example, in the semifinals than Djokovic. All things considered, Alcaraz has a good chance of capturing his first Aussie Open title.
Daniel Medvedev (+3000)
With long odds of 30-to-1, Medvedev is worth a look. Like Djokovic, he is a former world No. 1 who may not be in top form anymore. However, the old Medvedev started to appear in the final stages of 2025 following the first eight months of the season. The 29-year-old Russian ended his drought in Almaty, reached the semifinals in Beijing and Shanghai, and advanced to the quarters in Paris. Medvedev also has a history of success at Melbourne Park, where he finished second three times. Reaching Zverev’s quarter-final bracket gives the world No. 12 an even better shot.
Ben Shelton (+10000)
Shelton and Bublik are probably the best options among long, long shots. Two guys who can take the racket out of the hands of the opponents with great performance and great hitting from the back of the court. Bublik’s peak is arguably better than Shelton’s, but the eighth-ranked American probably has a better chance of stringing together seven matches – which is, of course, necessary to win a slam. Shelton loves the big stage. He ran to the semifinals of the Aussie Open in 2025 and is a former US Open semifinalist (2023).
Check the Australian Open draw on the tournament website
