ATP Australian Open Tournament 2026 - Men’s Tennis Betting Odds, Tips & Live Stream

A new year is upon us, and with it, the excitement of a brand new season of tennis on the ATP Tour. First up on the Grand Slam circuit is the event delightfully dubbed as the “Happy Slam”, the Australian Open. It promises to be a rip-roaring opener on the back of an exciting 2025 that saw Jannik Sinner claim his second Australian Open in succession.

Will it be three in a row for the Italian, or will his emerging nemesis Carlos Alcaraz claim the final Open on his way to a clean sweep? Alternatively, will Novak Djokovic stretch his lead as the most decorated player in the competition’s history by claiming his 11th title?

Stake Sportsbook is the home for betting, and there are tons of tennis betting lines available for this tournament. This guide gives you the lowdown on the top male tennis players, event format, reading tennis odds, and everything else you'll need to start betting on the ATP Australian Open 2026 at Stake.

Introduction to the ATP Australian Open Betting

The Australian Open is one of the four Grand Slams on the ATP Tour, alongside Wimbledon, the US Open, and French Open. It represents the pinnacle of tennis for any player, and because of that, it’s highly competitive. Only the best will make it far in the competition, which makes it popular for bettors looking to score value in upsets and lengthy battles.

When and Where is the Australian Open 2026?

The Australian Open will be staged at Melbourne Park, Melbourne. This major event starts on January 18, 2026, and two players will compete for the singles title on February 1.

Melbourne Park has been the permanent base for the Australian Open since 1988, and the women on the WTA Tour also compete there. The Australian is one of two major tournaments played on hard courts, with the US Open being the other.

History of the ATP Australian Open Tournament

Originally known as The Australasian Championships, The Australian Open was first contested in 1905 at the Warehouseman’s Cricket Ground in St Kilda, Melbourne.

After rotating between various cities, Tennis Australia (TA) agreed that in 1988, the tournament would be staged in Melbourne, and it has stayed there ever since.

This hard-court event now stands as one of the most exciting and lucrative events on the Tour, with prize money of more than AU$3 million.

The last ten years have seen only four players win the competition, with those years’ finals looking like this:

Who is Playing in the ATP Australian Open 2026?

Home hopes will lie with Alex De Minaur. He’s the highest-seeded Australian at 8th in the Australian Open standings, just behind the legend Novak Djokovic, and he could claim his maiden Slam here.

In the meantime, we have highlighted three players carrying favour in the outright winner market.

Jannik Sinner

The incumbent holder of the Australian Open, Jannik Sinner is going to be a hot favorite once again. Going back-to-back in Slams is something only the elite in tennis can do, and the Italian has managed to do it with the Australian Open.

Here, he’ll be looking for three-in-a-row, especially considering his closest competitor’s recent history in the tournament - more on that later. However, after dropping out of his nation’s Davis Cup team for 2025, which they would also win for the third time in a row, and losing out in the US Open final, he could come in to this one a little bruised.

Carlos Alcaraz

Alcaraz is Sinner’s big rival, and the two appear set to become the dynastic pair that Djokovic and Nadal once were.

The Spaniard bested the Italian in two Grand Slam finals in 2025, winning both the US and French Opens. That the Australian Open has eluded him in his career so far - falling at the quarterfinal hurdle on two occasions - will not be lost on the heir to Nadal’s throne. A win here would see him stake his claim as the best in the world.

Alexander Zverev

While Djokovic hunting down his 11th title before he calls it quits after the Olympics in 2028 will certainly catch many observers’ eyes, his waning influence on the game at the elite level has allowed Zverev to enter the conversation as one of the favourites to win.

Having fallen at the final hurdle in 2025, he will be looking to go one better, and he is arguably unlucky to be playing his tennis at the same time as Sinner and Alcaraz. He has yet to claim a Grand Slam title, and at 28, the German will feel the clock is ticking on that part of his career.

Format and Schedule of the ATP Australian Open

The Australian Open will begin with a week of qualifiers. From there, 128 players will take their place in the main draw for a fortnight of top-quality action.

Draws are divided into two halves, and each match consists of best-of-five sets. The venue’s most famous courts are the showcourts — Rod Laver Arena and Margaret Court Arena. The Rod Laver Arena holds around 15,000 fans.

We have produced a table denoting the key dates for the various rounds, so you can note the Australian Open schedule in the calendar.

How to Bet on the ATP Australian Open & Tennis Bet Types

It’s easy to bet on tennis at Stake.com. All you need to do is open an account, add funds, and choose your market - in this case, the Australian Open. If you’re new to sports betting, check out our sportsbook guide before learning how to bet on tennis.

The Australian Open is supported by many popular betting types, and we have discussed a few below.

• Moneyline wager - Moneyline betting involves predicting the winner of a match. So, if Taylor Fritz was facing Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fourth round, and you backed Fritz, then Fritz would need to win for you to be successful with your wager.

• Outright winner - Outright betting involves making a longer-term prediction. So, you could back Daniil Medvedev before the tournament starts to win, and with longer Australian Open odds, you could make a tidy sum if he pulls through.

• Handicaps - Handicap betting is designed to level the playing field. For example, if Carlos Alcaraz was given a five-game handicap (-5) against Cameron Norrie, the Spaniard would have to win by six games or more for you to get a return on your wager.

• 1st Set - Total Games - This form of set betting lets you choose how many games you think it will take for the first set to be decided. This will usually be in the form of an over/under figure. So, for example, if you think a game will be a back-and-forth affair that goes beyond the minimum 6-4 games, you can bet Over 10.5.

Tennis Live Streaming & Live Betting Options

In addition to being able to place bets on tournaments before they have started, you can place in-game bets as the action unfolds. Just navigate to our Live sports section and select a tennis match to place a live bet. You can learn more about how in-play betting differs from staking pre-match in our live betting differences guide.

What’s more, you can keep an eye on all of the action as it unfolds. We offer live streaming on some of the biggest competitions in sports, including options like live soccer and live american football, as well as - of course - live tennis. Simply navigate to the Upcoming sports events section and look for fixtures with the live streaming logo next to them. Find out more in our live streaming guide.

Tennis Betting Tips & Strategies

Whether you are betting on the Australian Open or other big tennis tournaments, such as the China Open or the Tokyo Open, these tips will be handy:

• Don’t try multiple markets at the same time - Before advancing onto more complicated wagers, start on the moneyline wager before trying accumulators or spreads, so you can build up some confidence.

• Keep records of bets - Keep a running record of bets and tweak things if wagers don’t pan out as expected.

• Watch tennis - It might sound obvious, but watch as much live tennis as possible. Over time, you will become accustomed to the players and your bets will be more well-informed.

• Stay up to date with news & expert predictions: Keep up with the latest news on players, and read up on predictions from experts like our Australian Open picks article.

Deposit & Withdrawal Methods for Betting on Tennis

If you’re ready to serve and ace the markets at Stake, you’ll need to add funds to your account. Simply log in to your account using a secure method, like using a passkey , and follow these simple steps:

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

2. Step 2- Select your preferred method.You can use a number of local currencies , such as Canadian Dollars, Vietnamese Dong, Argentine Pesos, Mexican Pesos, Chilean Pesos, Indian Rupees, Turkish Lira, and USD in Ecuador, at Stake.We also accept a range of crypto, which includes coins like BTC, USDT, ETH, EOS, SOL, DOGE, TRX, and LTC, plus many more. Before buying your coins, check out our crypto exchange guide for information on using options like Mesh, Moonpay , and Swapped.com . Additionally, you can now use Swap Crypto to exchange coins directly within your wallet.

3. Step 3 - Input your deposit address as the ‘send to’ location in your chosen wallet or exchange.

4. Step 4 - If making a withdrawal, go to Account > Wallet > Withdraw. Enter the destination address (your wallet) and cash-out amount to initiate the process.

If you need help with anything to do with deposits and withdrawals, such as using the Stake Vault or any other crypto security methods, reach out to our customer support staff.

Bet Bonuses & VIP Club Rewards

Stake is the place to bet for juicy promotions. You can find all sorts of sports-specific bonuses, including rakebacks and reloads, raffles, and tennis final set tiebreaker promos.

If you’re a regular at our sportsbook, you may be eligible for the VIP Club. There, you can earn a wide range of rewards, including access to a VIP Host. Learn more with our VIP FAQs.

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