The Australian Open 2025 men’s singles first round matches are set to begin on Sunday in Melbourne, and all eyes will be on Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. Sinner is the defending champion, but has also been dealing with controversy, regarding his ongoing doping investigation. Sinner will open his campaign against Chile’s Nicholas Jarry, and Djokovic will face Indian-origin American player Nishesh Basavareddy in his opener. On the other hand, Carlos Alcaraz will take on Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko in the first round.
Last year, Sinner’s victorious run included a win against 10-time AUS Open champ Djokovic in the semis and Russian Daniil Medvedev in the final.
Here is a list of the top-five men’s singles title contenders at the Australian Open 2025:
5. Daniil Medvedev
The Russian ace is a three-time Australian Open runner-up and last year missed a chance to grab the title, when he lost to Sinner in the final. Interestingly, among the four Grand Slam events, Medvedev has the second-highest win percentage of his career in Melbourne, standing at 77 percent. His main opponent will once again be Sinner, who he has faced 15 times since 2020 and trails 7-8. The 28-year-old is currently ranked No. 5 in the ATP standings.
4.Alexander Zverev
Zverev is the current World No. 2 and is also seeded second in Melbourne. A Grand Slam title has been elusive in his career, and Melbourne seems like the perfect chance for him to break the jinx. The farthest he has reached in the Australian Open is the semi-final stage, in both 2020 and 2024. Last year, he reached his second Grand Slam final, losing in the summit clash at the Roland Garros. He is also a US Open finalist, having finished as runner-up in 2020.
3. Carlos Alcaraz
The Australian Open title is the only Grand Slam trophy which Alcaraz hasn’t won yet, and he is only 21-years-old. The Spaniard has always found it hard in Melbourne, and his best result has been a quarter-final finish last year. Last year, he won the French Open and Wimbledon, but also fell to No. 3 in the ATP rankings. The Paris 2024 silver medalist will have a point to prove in Melbourne, and will look to reclaim his No. 1 spot this year.
2. Jannik Sinner
The current World No. 1, Sinner is the defending Australian Open champion. He is the favorite to clinch the title once again, but could also be lacking a mental edge over his other competitors, as he is currently dealing with a CAS doping investigation. The CAS verdict will be passed this year. He also won the US Open last year, but it was overshadowed by a doping scandal.
1. Novak Djokovic
Currently in the swansong phase of his glittering career. Djokovic will be seeking a record-extending 11th title in Melbourne. He didn’t win a single Grand Slam title last year, but did claim Olympic gold in Paris. He will also hope to clinch a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title in Melbourne. Djokovic has also added arch-rival and former player Andy Murray to his coaching staff, and he will assist chief trainer Goran Ivanisevic. Djokovic was famously deported out of Australia in 2022, due to his Covid-19 unvaccinated status and he was unable to play in Melbourne that year, although he returned in 2023 to win the title. Ahead of the Australian Open 2025, he made some huge accusations, revealing that he was poisoned in the immigration facility during his deportation incident.
