Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek Favored At Australian Open Despite ...

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 14: Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a backhand during a practice ... [+] session ahead of the 2022 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 14, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

World No. 1s Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek are both heavily favored to win the Australian Open despite facing challenging draws, according to bookmaker.eu

Djokovic, the 10-time Australian Open champion and 24-time Grand Slam champion, is at -121 to win his 25th major title in Melbourne. He is followed by Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz (+337), Wimbledon semifinalist Jannik Sinner (+678) and former U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev (+865).

Djokovic, 36, is dealing with a right wrist issue but practiced earlier this week and showed no obvious signs of pain.

Djokovic will start against a qualifier and could face former world No. 1 Andy Murray in the third round and last year’s runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals.

“We don’t know whether Novak is 100 percent,” John McEnroe, a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, said in an ESPN conference call on Monday in response to a question from this reporter. “Obviously, he’s been injured allegedly the last couple of years and won the event handily so...let’s just say he knows how to manage it so we’ll see. Obviously, he’s won it 10 times. Who would’ve thought that would’ve happened?”

In addition to a 2023 finals rematch between Djokovic and No. 7 Tsitsipas, other men’s quarterfinals could feature: No. 4 Sinner vs. No. 5 Andrey Rublev in the top half; No. 2 Alcaraz vs. No. 6 Alexander Zverev; and No. 3 Medvedev vs. No. 8 Holger Rune on the bottom half.

NEW YORK, USA, September 08: Iga Swiatek of Poland celebrates her victory against Aryna Sabalenka ... [+] of Belarus in the Womens Singles Semi-Final match on Arthur Ashe Stadium during the US Open Tennis Championship 2022 at the USTA National Tennis Centre on September 8th 2022 in Flushing, Queens, New York City. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

As for the women, four-time major champion Swiatek is favored to win her first Australian Open title at +172. She is followed by former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina (+400), defending champion Aryna Sabalenka (+450) and U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff (+600). Fellow American Jessica Pegula is next at +1600.

Swiatek will face 2020 champion Sofia Kenin in the first round and potentially 2016 winner Angelique Kerber or Danielle Collins in the second in a tough start to her bid for a first Melbourne title.

The draws were held Thursday, with the return of former champions Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber and Caroline Wozniacki to Melbourne Park after maternity breaks resulting in some high-pressure opening rounds.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 20: Naomi Osaka of Japan poses with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup ... [+] after winning her Women’s Singles Final match against Jennifer Brady of the United States during day 13 of the 2021 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on February 20, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Osaka, who has won the Australian Open and U.S. Open titles twice, opens against No. 16 Caroline Garcia and is in the same quarter of the draw as Gauff.

“In regards to Naomi, I always say you never underestimate a champion,” ESPN’s Mary Joe Fernandez said. “She's won the Australian Open a couple times. I watched her play last week, as well. I thought she was striking the ball very well after a long time away. Actually thought she was moving pretty well.

“If she can find a way to get through the first few rounds, she always becomes a threat. She has major weapons with her serves and groundstrokes.

“You look at the top four with Iga, Sabalenka, Rybakina and Coco, tough to get through those I think at the moment. I thought it was very promising what we saw last week from Naomi.”

Three-time major winner Kerber will start against Collins, who beat Swiatek in the semifinals here in 2022 on her way to the final. That was three-time French Open winner Swiatek’s best run at the Australian Open so far. Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka and 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko are also seeded players in Swiatek’s quarter.

Possible women’s quarterfinals could be: No. 1 Swiatek vs. No. 7 Marketa Vondrousova, and Rybakina vs. No. 5 Jessica Pegula on the top half; No. 2 Sabalenka vs. No. 6 Ons Jabeur, and No. 4 Gauff vs. No. 8 Maria Sakkari on the bottom half.

(The AP contributed reporting.)

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