2026 Australian Open Grand Slam Predictions

Australian Open 2026 Picks & Predictions - Tennis Grand Slam Betting Odds & Top Players

It’s that time of year again, when the tennis calendar resets, and it’s all up for grabs for the top stars in both the ATP and WTA Tours. The first Grand Slam of the year provides a strong curtain opener of sorts to a year of elite action in the 2026 tennis season.

So, who are the top picks for the men’s and women’s singles in the Aussie Open and who should tennis fans be looking out for when the action gets underway at the end of January? We’ll cover it all right here, including how to place a bet on the men’s and women’s Australian Open on Stake Sportsbook.

Australian Open Overview - Schedule, Players & Dates

The 2026 Australian Open proper will get underway on January 18, following a week of qualification matches, running through to February 1. The entry list has not been completed yet, but the top 32 seeds in the ATP and WTA world rankings will be entered, with wildcards and qualifiers making up the remaining 128 players in each gender category.

While no fixtures are confirmed as of yet, the round dates have been confirmed, and the dates below are worth keeping in the calendar, ready for the competition beginning.

ATP Format

WTA Format

2025 Australian Open Recap

2025 was a bumper year for tennis on both WTA and ATP Tours. It threw up some interesting narratives, and the Australian Open was a significant part of that. So, who won the 2025 Australian Open singles and doubles events, and how did they get there to become champions?

Men’s Champions

Three different nationalities were champions across the men’s singles and doubles in 2025, and one man in particular looks to be establishing himself as the king of Melbourne.

Jannik Sinner - Singles Champion

The young Italian looks set to become one of the next big stars, in the same vein as the likes of Roger Federer, and he’s asserting his dominance on the Grand Slams by winning two Aussie Opens in a row. He also won at Wimbledon last year, but his dominant three-set win against Alexander Zverev in Melbourne capped off a great January Down Under and set him on his way to making all four Slam finals.

Harri Heliövaara and Henry Patten - Doubles Champions

The Finnish and British double team saw off a pair of Italians, Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, in a second final loss in a row for those two. Going into the tournament as the sixth seeds, they weren’t exactly clear favourites, but they upset the odds and came away with the win.

Women's Champions

The 2025 Women’s Open saw one player on the cusp of greatness in the form of going three-in-a-row. However, a somewhat unlikely winner saw that dream end.

Madison Keys - Singles Champion

Before 2025, the American had yet to win a Grand Slam. In fact, the furthest she had gone was a US Open final in 2017. Having turned 30 just before the tournament got underway, it felt like time was running out. However, she went on to defeat Aryna Sabalenka, the woman who looked set to go back-to-back-to-back.

Kateřina Siniaková and Taylor Townsend - Doubles Champions

It was a good year for the USA in women’s tennis. Townsend flew the flag for the US as the pair won out against Hsieh Su-wei and Jeļena Ostapenko. Su-wei had come into 2025’s edition of the tournament as a defending doubles champion, so despite Siniakova and Taylor being first seeds, this was still something of a coup.

2026 Australian Open Predictions & Favourite Tennis Picks

There will be no shortage of great players at the 2026 Australian Open, including emerging stars like Jack Draper and Coco Gauff, as well as established names like Naomi Osaka, Mirra Andreeva, Daniil Medvedev, Jasmine Paolini, and Novak Djokovic. However, there are a handful of names that will rank highly in the tennis betting odds, including:

Men's Favourites

There are a number of names in the mix for the men’s singles, but there are two in particular that will be expected to go all the way this year.

Jannik Sinner

After two-in-a-row, you can’t overlook the Italian as a clear favourite. He closed out last season with an impressive win over the next name on our list in the Nitto ATP Finals, which has established that there is a dynastic battle for the ages emerging in men’s tennis.

Carlos Alcaraz

The young Spaniard is very clearly the heir to Rafael Nadal’s throne. He won both the ATP US Open and French Open in 2025 and lost in the Wimbledon final to his nemesis, Sinner. The former Next Gen ATP Finals winner will want to go better than the quarterfinals, and he’ll be the favourite to dethrone his Italian counterpart.

Women’s Favourites

The women’s game is slightly different to the men’s in that the incumbent holder of the trophy is not exactly favourite to take it home again. Instead, the smart picks are on it returning to prior winners in the women’s singles.

Aryna Sabalenka

Losing out to Madison Keys when going for three-in-a-row would have hurt for the Belarusian star, and she will definitely be gunning to claim it back. Reaching the WTA French Open final at Roland Garros and winning at the WTA US Open after that setback will keep her at the top of the Australian Open odds.

Iga Świątek

It’s perhaps a toss-up as to who would be the second favourite between Świątek and WTA Finals winner Elena Rybakina, but the Polish youngster is on the way to achieving a career Grand Slam clean sweep. A win at Wimbledon in 2025 meant that it was just the Aussie Open waiting for her, and she was unlucky when losing to eventual winner Madison Keys last season.

Types of Tennis Bets & How to Bet on the Australian Open on Stake

Betting on tennis at Stake.com is easy. All you have to do is create your account and add funds. From there, you can navigate to all of our tennis betting markets and select the Australian Open from the list. If you’re new to placing bets, you can check out our sports betting guide before learning how to bet on tennis, including specifics like set betting.

Once you have done that, there are a handful of bet types that will be important to know, including:

• Correct Score

• Set Handicap

• 1st Set Winner

• Total Games

Watch Tennis Live & Free on Stake.com

In addition to all of the best odds and markets on tennis, you can watch a full range of live sport right here on Stake. Navigate to our Live Tennis section or Upcoming Events and look for fixtures with the live streaming logo to find matches to watch. If you need a little help, you can check out our guide on live streaming.

You can also place in-play bets, meaning you can watch the match unfold to inform your decisions. Check out our guide to live v pre-match betting for more information.

Deposit & Withdrawal Methods for Betting on Tennis

When you’re ready to start placing tennis bets, all you need to do is log in to your account with a secure method, such as using a passkey , and follow these simple steps:

1. Step 1 - Find your deposit address by going to Wallet > Deposit.

2. Step 2 - Pick your chosen deposit method.There are a number of local currency options to choose from on Stake, including Argentine Pesos, Mexican Pesos, Chilean Pesos, Canadian Dollars, Indian Rupees, Turkish Lira, Vietnamese Dong, and USD in Ecuador.You can also use a range of crypto, including options like LTC, TRX, EOS, SOL, DOGE, ETH, USDT, and BTC. Once you have decided which to use, you can buy your coins using a crypto exchange platform like Mesh, Moonpay , or Swapped.com . You can also use Swap Crypto to exchange coins from within your wallet.

3. Step 3 - Input your deposit address as your ‘send to’ location.

4. To make a withdrawal, go to Account > Wallet > Withdrawal, before entering your cash-out amount and your wallet’s destination address.

If you need some help with deposits and withdrawals, you can speak to our customer support staff, who can help with everything, including crypto security like the Stake Vault.

Stake Sportsbook Tennis Promotions, VIP Club, & Responsible Betting

You can make your funds go further with sportsbook promotions from Stake. These include regular bonuses like rakebacks and reloads, as well as tennis-specific promotions like our tiebreaker payout bonus.

Our most loyal players may be eligible to join our VIP Club, where you will receive different rewards based on your staking history. At the highest levels, you will be granted access to a VIP host who can provide personalised bonuses. Check out our VIP FAQs for the full lowdown.

It’s key that you remember to always gamble responsibly. You can read through our Stake Smart guidelines for information on staying in control. You can also use our monthly budget calculator and betting limit guide for support in establishing healthier gambling habits.