Australian Open 2020: Men’s singles full preview
The 108th edition of the Australian Open will begin on January 20th and conclude on February 2nd, 2020. Alongside the US Open, the Australian Open is the only other Grand Slam event played on hard court.
The first major of the year is the most developed of all Grand Slams, as it is only the major to have three retractable roofs. There have been questions around whether there will be delays to this year’s competition due to the bushfires in Australia. However, Australian Open chief executive, Craig Tiley has assured everyone that the tournament “is happening” and said matches will take place indoors under the roofs if the air quality becomes too hazardous.
Many of the game’s top men players have won the Australian Open. Rod Laver, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have all held the winner’s trophy and history could be made on the men’s side this year. Victory for Djokovic would give him a record eighth title in Melbourne. Nadal will become the only player in the men’s game to win every Grand Slam at least twice if he stands tall at the end. If Roger Federer secures his seventh crown, he will become a record 21-time Grand Slam champion.
Djokovic is once again the favourite to win. He won the tournament six times between 2010 – 2019 and dominated his rival, Rafael Nadal in straight sets to win the title last year. Djokovic may play sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals before a possible thriller against Roger Federer in the semi-finals.
Federer will start his campaign against Steve Johnson and could face world number 19, Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-finals. Federer’s revival in Grand Slams started at the 2017 Australian Open when he fought back from a 1-3 deficit in the fifth set to defeat Rafael Nadal and win his first major in five years. Federer has not competed since the ATP World Tour Finals, but he has more big match experience than any of the players.
Nadal will try to snap his losing streak in Australian Open finals. He has lost his last four finals and will need to be at his best if he wants to win. He could play Nick Kyrgios in the fourth round, before a potential match against Dominic Thiem in the quarter-finals. Nadal’s success at the US Open in September, could give him the confidence he needs to win another hard court Grand Slam.
Danniil Medvedev may be the one to stop the dominance of the ‘Big Three’ at major championships. The Russian impressed many when he fought back from two sets to love down in the US Open final and nearly beat Nadal in five sets. Since then, Medvedev has won two titles and put on a strong performance at the ATP Cup this month. He must be sharp from the start as he meets 2019 Australian Open quarter-finalist, Frances Tiafoe in the first round.
Darkhorses for the title include 2014 champion, Stanislas Wawrinka and ATP World Tour Finals champion, Dominic Thiem.
Where is the tournament held?
The tournament is held at Melbourne Park
What dates does the tournament run?
January 20th – February 2nd, 2020
What surface is the tournament played on?
The tournament is played on outdoor hard courts with three of the courts having retractable roofs
How many players and seeds are in the men’s draw?
There are a total of 128 women and 32 seeds in the singles
Prize money, Men’s Singles:
Winner – $4,120,000
Finalist – $2,065,000
Semi-finalist – $1,040,000
Quarter-finalist – $525,000
Round of 16 – $300,000
Round of 32 – $180,000
Second round – $128,000
First round – $90,000
Rankings points, Men’s Singles:
Winner – 2000 points
Finalist – 1300 points
Semi-finalist – 780 points
Quarter-finalist – 430 points
Round of 16 – 240 points
Round of 32 – 130 points
Second round – 70 points
First round – 10 points
Where can I buy tickets for the tournament?
How can I follow the tournament without going there?
You can find out how to watch the 2020 Australian Open by reading our guide to tennis on TV
You can also follow the tournament through their official Twitter here
Past champions – Men’s Singles:
2019 – Novak Djokovic
2018 – Roger Federer
2017 – Roger Federer
2016 – Novak Djokovic
2015 – Novak Djokovic
2014 – Stanislas Wawrinka
2013 – Novak Djokovic
2012 – Novak Djokovic
2011 – Novak Djokovic
2010 – Roger Federer
2009 – Rafael Nadal
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