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It’s that time of year again – back to Melbourne Park to watch the first Grand Slam of the new calendar year. Starting on the 18^th January, we’ll have one of the most enjoyable tennis events of the year, but who has the best chance of winning on both the male and female sides of the bracket?Here is our breakdown using odds from the main UK bookmakers.

Men’s Australian Open 2026

As one would assume, the most likely winners include Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. The duo have the capability and quality to dominate men’s tennis for years to come. For Sinner, Bet365 & Ladbrokes place him at 10/11 odds, while Alcaraz is valued at 6/4 on both platforms.

Sinner comes in as the favourite thanks to a newfound comfort on hard court surfaces; the two-time Australian Open champion has already shown his comfort in such circumstances. His tactical quality has only grown in recent times, too, and he’s become far more capable of dealing with long, drawn-out affairs than he was in the past. Alcaraz, though, has never won the Australian Open – he’s a two-time quarter-finalist, so that could play a part in adding extra determination to add one of the key Grand Slams to his list.

Really, it’s hard to see beyond the duo coming into this one – however, you can never discounts Novak Djokovic (10s @ Bet365, 8s @ Ladbrokes) and the other two major competitors in Alexander Zverev (18s @ Bet365, 12s @ Ladbrokes) and Daniil Medvedev (25s @ Bet365, 33/2 @ Ladbrokes) – however, the odds show a clear disparity between the top two and the rest. Djokovic especially feels like one you cannot count out – ten Australian Open wins since 2008 is incredible work, and he clearly loves the tournament despite previous turbulence with the event's organisers.

Women’s Australian Open 2026

Like the men’s game, women’s tennis has a pretty clear hierarchy, and it starts with the two elite in Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek. The Belarusian and Polish stars have become dominant forces on the WTA tour, and that could – and probably should – continue here Down Under. Sabalenka (9/4 @ Bet365, 2s @ Ladbrokes) and Swiatek (9/2 @ Bet365, 3s @ Ladbrokes) have great chances of adding to their hugely successful 2025.

In terms of comparing the two elite here, Sabalenka might have the edge; she’s a demon on the hard courts thanks to her incredible athleticism and power, capable of battering through rallies and racking up points. She’s also done a lot to overcome her chippiness and emotional outbursts, and has already won twice here in Australia – and was a finalist last year.

Swiatek, meanwhile, has had some success in Melbourne before, but it would be a stretch to say it’s her best Grand Slam – she’s one of the few in the WTA who can keep up with Sabalenka’s power, though.

Outside of the ‘big two’, you have potential for the likes of Elena Ryabinka (8s @ Bet365, 6s @ Ladbrokes), Coco Gauff (10s @ Bet365, 7s @ Ladbrokes) and Amanda Anisimova (10s @ Bet365, 8s @ Ladbrokes) to have a realistic shot. Much like the men’s bracket, though, it comes down to luck with seeding, injury and the right draw. Gauff is a decent shout to make a good run, if you are looking for someone to back who isn’t a favourite to win the tournament but has the skill to go far.

It’s hard to see beyond either of the big two in either setting, though – the Australian Open does have a habit of casting up some interesting results, but tennis has broken into such a way that the major two performers in male and female tennis are so consistent, so elite, that it’s hard to see beyond them going all the way – again. If we get the finals we expect, though, it could be sensational viewing.