Australian Open 2020 predictions: How will Federer, Djokovic, Nadal and Serena do?

The Australian Open gets underway on Monday as the 2020 tennis season swings into gear. Novak Djokovic is the big favourite but Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will be there or thereabouts. And Our writers make their predictions.

The Australian Open is going ahead despite the air problems in Melbourne due to the Australian bushfires.

And the usual suspects are expected to be in contention for the first Grand Slam of the season.

Djokovic and Naomi Osaka were the king and queen last year, and should both be in the mix again.

But Serena Williams is back winning while there a host of young players in he men’s draw who are gunning to take the mantle from the big three and will be hoping 2020 is the year they make in roads at the main events.

Just in: Roger Federer fires Australian Open warning to Novak Djokovic

Australian Open

Australian Open predictions: Our writers take a look at what’s going to happen in Australia (Image: GETTY)

Australian Open

Australian Open: Novak Djokovic won the tournament last year (Image: GETTY)

Australian Open predictions

Matthew Dunn

Men’s winner: Roger Federer

Best male Brit: Dan Evans

Women’s winner: Karolina Pliskova

Best female Brit: Oh dear…

Dark horse: Daniil Medvedev

Biggest flop: Novak Djokovic

With the air quality what it is in Melbourne at the moment, over a gruelling two weeks it will be a tournament when brain will overcome brawn or straightforward physicality.

Novak Djokovic in particular has a history of breathing problems and faces a tough opening match against Jan-Lennard Struff, one of the top unseeded players who performed well for Germany in the ATP Cup.

Survive that and he could face the spiky Dan Evans in the third round, probably the only British man to make it past the first hurdle, with Cameron Norrie not quite ready to go toe-to-toe with Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Kyle Edmund too inconsistent to squeeze past Dujan Lajovic.

If Djokovic is sent home early, Roger Federer has a clearer path to the final with only Stefanos Tsitsipas liable to cause any sort of concern.

In the other half, Daniil Medvedev is an outside chance finally to break the stranglehold on the Grand Slams by the old guard but must get past Rafa Nadal and Dominic Thiem.

Ashleigh Barty, no. 1 seed, will be the strong local favourite but that is a lot of pressure to carry and no. 2 seed Karolina Pliskova will be in full tournament mode from the get-go with an opener against Kristina Mladenovic but little beyond till the latter stages.

Injury-stricken Katie Boulter faces a daunting return to action against fifth seed Elina Svitolina and Heather Watson faces Pliskova’s twin sister Kristyna, which will be almost as hard as facing the former world no.1 herself.

Which leaves Jo Konta. Having sat courtside throughout unfancied Tunisian Ons Jabeur’s win against Konta in Eastbourne, I fancy she will again get under the skin of the British no. 1 and, with injury also niggling away at Konta’s game, I fear a miserable Melbourne for Britain’s women.

Roger Federer

Roger Federer has been in tuning up in Melbourne in preparation (Image: GETTY)

Uche Amako

Men’s winner: Novak Djokovic

The best hard court player in the world. The level it takes just to stay with him, let alone beat is too much for almost every other player.

The only thing that can stop him is injury. If he’s healthy, he should win.

Best male Brit: Dan Evans

The highest ranked British player in the draw. Evans needs to build on an impressive 2019 season. His performances at the ATP Cup should give him plenty of confidence.

He can be an awkward customer to play against despite his lack of firepower. The possibility of facing Djokovic in the third round should be his main focus.

Women’s winner: Serena Williams

No 24 has to happen now. After back-to-back Grand Slam final defeats, Williams took the rest of 2019 off and sent a message to the WTA Tour with victory in Auckland.

It was her first title since winning the Australian Open in 2017 while pregnant. It would be fitting if she was able to finally win another Major three years on with her daughter watching on

Best female Brit: Jo Konta

Konta comes into the tournament with question marks about her fitness but remains Britain’s best hope of success.

She always enjoys playing on the hard courts and is capable of going on a deep run and taking out big names

Dark horse: Andrey Rublev

Provided he is not too tired, the talented Russian is the man to watch out for.

A winner in Doha and a finalist in Adelaide, he is in great form at the moment. His forehand is capable of taking out anyone when it is firing and a Grand Slam breakthrough is long overdue.

Biggest flop: Alexander Zverev

In 2019, the German has failed to show the quality which won him the ATP Finals in 2018.

His struggles with the serve are well documented and there’s little sign of improvement. He also seems to be suffering from a lack of focus and confidence.

Another early exit in a Grand Slam would not be a shock.

Johanna Konta

Johanna Konta is hoping for a big tournament (Image: GETTY)

Mikael McKenzie

Australian Open predictions

Men’s winner: Novak Djokovic

It is hard to look beyond Novak Djokovic when it comes to the Australian Open. The way the Serbian tore Rafael Nadal apart in last year’s final shows there are not many – if any – that can match him on this surface.

Best male Brit: Dan Evans

Dan Evans had a strong showing at the ATP Cup as Great Britain reached the quarter-finals. With Andy Murray still recovery from injury and Kyle Edmund and Cameron Norris in poor form, all of the UK’s expectation is place on Evans’ shoulders.

Women’s winner: Serena Williams

Wouldn’t it be a fairytale to equal Margaret Court’s record in the Australian’s home country? Serena Williams is not getting any younger and keeps coming close to her 24th career Grand Slam title to tie with Court. Maybe this next fortnight could be her time.

Best female Brit: Johanna Konta

Johanna Konta is the only British women inside the top 100 so should get further than her fellow countrywomen. The world No 13 has reached the quarter-finals twice and semi-finals once in her last three Grand Slam appearances.

Dark horse: Roberto Bautista Agut

Roberto Bautista Agut won all six of his matches at the ATP Cup as Spain reached the final – and all in straight sets. The world No 9 has Grand Slam pedigree too, reaching the 2019 Wimbledon semi-finals.

Biggest flop: Alexander Zverev

Zverev is on a really bad run of form having lost all three of his ATP Cup matches. The young German has also never been past the quarter-final of a Grand Slam.

And his first round opponent? 2018 French Open semi-finalist Marco Cecchinato – watch out for that one.

Serena Williams

Serena Williams is hoping to seal her 24th Grand Slam victory (Image: GETTY)

Neil Squires

Men’s winner: Novak Djokovic. The Serb has won seven Australian Opens and his straight sets victory over Rafa Nadal at the ATP Cup in Sydney last Sunday points towards an eighth triumph in Melbourne.

Best male Brit: Kyle Edmund. Semifinalist in 2018 and with a new coach in Franco Davin is equipped to put a largely disappointing 2019 behind him. Decent draw – up until the fourth round where Djokovic lies in wait.

Women’s winner: Karolina Pliskova. Ready to shake off the ‘best player never to have won a Grand Slam’ mantle. Won the Brisbane International on Sunday and reached the semifinal in Melbourne last year.

Best female Brit: Jo Konta. If she clears a tricky first round hurdle in Ons Jabeur, Konta has a favourable pathway through the tournament

Dark horse: Daniil Medvedev. Won four titles last year and reached the US Open final with his unconventional style. At 23, the Russian can be expected to push on this year.

Biggest flop: Roger Federer. Ageless master but could be undercooked after choosing to start his 2020 campaign with exhibition matches in China rather than the ATP Cup.

Neil McLeman

Men’s winner: Novak Djokovic

The Serb is seeking a record-extending eighth men’s singles title here and is again the man to beat. He destroyed Rafa Nadal in the final last year – and has lost only three matches here in the last decade. And he arrives

Best male Brit: Kyle Edmund

After struggling with a knee injury last season, the 2018 Australian Open semi-finalist is looking to climb back up the rankings this year. He has winnable opening matches while British No.1 Dan Evans won’t get past Novak Djokovic in the third round.

Women’s winner: Serena Williams

The American superstar won her first title since becoming a mother in Auckland last week. And now the 38-year-old has another chance to equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles on the 50th anniversary of the controversial Australian’s 1970 calendar year Grand Slam. It is not quite now or never for Williams but she has won seven times here before and is fit and ready to go.

Best female Brit: Jo Konta

The British No.1 reached the semi-final here in 2016 and got to at least the quarter-finals of her last three Grand Slams despite a nagging knee injury. But she faces a tough draw with Caroline Wozniacki, playing in her last ever tournament, awaiting in the third round and then Serena Williams.

Dark horse: Jannik Sinner

The first two winners of the Next Gen ATP Finals – Chung Hyeon in 2017 and Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2018 – went on to reach the Australian Open semi-finals two months later. Italian Sinner, 18 will look to follow them this year – and is a headline writer’s dream. He faces an intriguing second-round clash with young Canadian Denis Shapovalov

Biggest flop: Ash Barty

No Australian has won the Australian Open since Christine O’Neil in 1978. French Open champion and world No.1 Barty will carry the weight of home expectation this year but has never got beyond the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park. No.18 seed Alison Riske, who beat her at Wimbledon, Petra Kvitova and defending champion Naomi Osaka all bar her way to the final

Gideon Brooks

Men’s winner: Difficult to see past the favourite Novak Djokovic given his hold on the men’s scene and given that, of all the Slams, this one is the nearest he comes to total dominance winning six of the last nine titles.

Best male Brit: Kyle Edmund has struggled to match the promise of his charge to the 2018 semi final here. Dan Evans is near to Djokovic in the draw and is slated to meet in the third round. If he makes it, he will probably be best of British.

Women’s winner: Close one between Karolina Pliskova, who is without a Grand Slam win and Ashleigh Barty who is looking to add to her French title from last year with a second Slam. Both come in to this in fine form but with home pressure likely to weigh heavy Pliskova is just my pick.

Best female Brit: Johanna Konta should be good enough to better the efforts of Heather Watson and Harriet Dart who, if they get through the first round, face Elise Mertens and Wimbledon champ Simon Halep, respectively.

Dark horse: Belarus 21-year-old Aryna Sabalenka won the US Open doubles last autumn, went well in Adelaide this month and can cause an upset or two in the womens’ draw. Daniil Medvedev could push the big two close in the mens. .

source: express.co.uk