It’s going to be a defining year in tennis. With the old guard of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic finally showing the chinks in their armour needed to prove they are human after all, a number of young and talented tennis players are queueing up to put their name in lights and claim their first Grand Slam title.
Where well it come? We’ve looked at the betting lines and analysed the action to provide you with the answers for all four stops on the Grand Slam circuit over the next 12 months.
The Australian Open
The first stop is Down Under, as the Australian Open kicks off on January 20th and runs until February 2nd. With Andy Murray ruled out of both the Australian Open and ATP Cup through injury, the pre-tournament favourite is Serbian slugger Novak Djokovic. With the triumvirate of titans at the top of the rankings consisting of two others in Nadal and Federer, the competition will be fierce, especially as Federer knows that this year may be his last opportunity to win a Grand Slam title, expect fireworks.
However, with Nadal never having had a great record in Melbourne and Federer unlikely to come into the season in peak fitness, Djokovic will take some stopping. While Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev may prove the toughest tests for the world number two to get past, we think he’ll grab his eighth Australian Open title and 17th Grand Slam overall.
Current Odds:
Novak Djokovic – 7/4
Rafael Nadal – 10/3
Daniil Medvedev – 9/1
Roger Federer – 9/1
Stefanos Tsitsipas – 10/1
Dominic Thiem – 12/1
The French Open
It’s impossible to talk about Roland Garros without suggesting that the entire fortnight in France surround one man – Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard has won a record 12 Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros, the most by any one man at a single venue – and starts as the odds-on favourite with bookies, the only man to begin the year odds-on to win a single Grand Slam.
Anyone who wins must have to overcome Nadal, you might therefore surmise. You’d be wrong, however, with Roger Federer a great example of a player who has won the French Open yet never beaten Nadal on the clay. However, if Nadal was to suffer an injury or come into play without being fully fit, we can see Dominic Thiem (4/1) or Stefanos Tsitsipas (14/1) earning their first-ever Grand Slam title. At such vastly different current odds, you’d have to back the Greek player.
Rafael Nadal – 10/11
Novak Djokovic – 3/1
Dominic Thiem – 4/1
Stefanos Tsitsipas – 14/1
Alexander Zverev – 20/1
Roger Federer – 22/1
Wimbledon
One of the most exciting tournaments of the tennis year, the pressure is right on all the top three. Federer will already have earmarked this event as his potential final Grand Slam, and will be praying for an easier route to the final than the one he had to negotiate in 2019, where he lost the opening set of his first-round match to world no. 82 Lloyd Harris, and eventually got past Lucas Pouille, Kei Nishikori and old enemy Rafael Nadal only to lose in five sets to Djokovic in the final.
While there will be multiple threats to his title from players such as the dangerous Daniil Medvedev and determined German Alexander Zverev, we think Djokovic can win again in SW19 to claim his 18th Grand Slam title. That might not be the value bet of the summer, however, as an outsider always makes the semis, such as last year’s 23rd seed Roberto Bautista Agut.
Novak Djokovic – 6/4
Roger Federer – 4/1
Rafael Nadal – 5/1
Stefanos Tsitsipas – 14/1
Andy Murray – 16/1
Daniil Medvedev – 16/1
Alexander Zverev – 20/1
The U.S. Open
The final Grand Slam of the season is always one of the most unpredictable. Last year saw Daniil Medvedev ousted by Rafael Nadal in the most surprising of finals, and the betting market suggests that bookies have little idea who will come out on top at Flushing Meadows in 2020 either.
We would avoid the big three completely as by the time the U.S. Open takes place, Roger Federer will have turned 39, Rafael Nadal will be 34 and Novak Djokovic will be 33, the trio all playing at the end of a long, hard season. Medvedev is outstanding odds at 10/1 to go one better than reaching last year’s final and we wouldn’t even rule out Karen Khachanov or Nick Kyrgios at 25/1 winning the trophy. Anything could happen.
Novak Djokovic – 6/4
Rafael Nadal – 10/3
Roger Federer – 7/1
Daniil Medvedev – 10/1
Stefanos Tsitsipas – 14/1
Alexander Zverev, Andy Murray – 16/1
Juan Martin Del Potro – 22/1
Dominic Thiem, Karen Khachanov & Nick Kyrgios – 25/1
Whichever way the four 2020 Grand Slams go, we’ll be taking through every cross-court passing shot, overhead smash and down-the-line winner that earns each champion their moment of glory.
