All 2022 Australian Open odds are as of Dec. 29, 2021.
The Australian Open will return to its normal January time slot in 2022, but the draw itself won’t look completely normal thanks to the many stars withdrawing due to injury or COVID-19 concerns.
That makes this year’s field a wide-open one where some serious betting value can be found both in single-match bets as well as the futures market.
Check out our tennis betting guide.
While we encourage you to be diligent in monitoring for further withdrawals, here’s our early look at the favorites (and some outside shots) to win the men’s and women’s titles.
Men’s Draw Favorites
Novak Djokovic’s (+110) participation in Melbourne has been the big question mark due to his opposition to getting vaccinated. The latest reports hint that the Serbian could be granted a medical exemption, while others speculate that his withdrawal from the ATP Cup means he’ll be waiting until at least May for another shot at breaking his all-time Grand Slam titles tie with Federer and Nadal.
Assuming he plays though and that Rafa is not in the field, the most-proven challenger in his way is Daniel Medvedev (+225), who denied Djoko of his calendar and record-breaking Grand Slam at the US Open. The lanky Russian and current world No. 2 has kept up the momentum since then, leading Russia to Davis Cup glory and reaching the finals of the ATP Finals.
There he lost to Alexander Zverev (+350), the budding German star who has reached the semis or further in four of his last seven majors. Given that he beat Djokovic twice in 2021, Zverev is a solid bet to finally breakthrough and claim his first Grand Slam.
Men’s Draw Outside Shots
It feels strange to call Rafael Nadal (+1000) anything but a favorite, but mysteries still surround the condition of his left foot after withdrawing from the US Open. To compound matters, he also tested positive for COVID just before Christmas. If he does play, he may be one of the most rested (or most out of form, depending on how you look at it) of this year’s seeded players.
Of course, their odds will shorten if they get a favorable draw and any of the above drop out, but two-time AO semifinalist Stefanos Tsitsipas (+1200) and 20-year old phenom Jannik Sinner (+1600) would also be worthy futures plays as well.
And if you like Cinderella stories, consider tracking the tune-up matches of five-time Aussie Open-finalist Andy Murray (+5000)–just know he’ll be entering the tournament as a wild card.
Women’s Draw Favorites
No. 1 seed Ashleigh Barty (+450) finished 2021 as the top-ranked WTA player for the third year in a row. After finally claiming her first major this past summer at Wimbledon, the 25-year old has shown she’s not afraid of the big stage and is more than capable of becoming the first Aussie–men’s or women’s–to win the Australian Open since 1978.
Although she’s the reigning AO champ, questions surround the mental health of No. 2 seed Naomi Osaka (+550) heading into Melbourne. The last time we saw her, Osaka announced she was going to take some time off from the game (her second such break in 2021) after losing in the third round of the US Open. But if that mental rest has turned her form to rust, she might be one to fade when looking at her competitors’ 2022 Australian Open odds and recent performance.
Garbine Murguza (+1000) on the other hand lies in wait–the Spaniard has made the second weekend of three straight AOs, including the 2020 final. She also closed out 2021 by winning the WTA Finals, making her a solid bet to possibly knock off Barty.
Also on the verge of breaking out is Aryna Sabalenka (+1000). The Belarusian has made the semis of her last two Grand Slams and, for what it’s worth, is familiar with winning in Melbourne as the reigning AO doubles champ.
Women’s Draw Outside Shots
We would say keep an eye on Olympic singles champion Belinda Bencic (+2500) to make a run this January, but the Swiss all-arounder tested positive for COVID-19, leaving her status unknown.
Instead, we really like Maria Sakkari (+1800) to make waves in Melbourne after reaching the semis of both the French and US Open in 2021.