The Australian Open is the Grand Slam for the Asia Pacific and is the first of the four major tournaments in the calendar year. The total prize pool for the Australian Open in 2015 was $40 million dollars Australian – the highest amount of money the tournament has ever awarded to competitors.
Australian Open history
First held in 1905, the Australian Open takes place over the last two weeks of January in the city anecdotally referred to as the sporting capital of the world, Melbourne.
The tournament was played in different cities around the country on grass before it settled in the Victorian capital in 1988 which brought about a hardcourt surface change, a green court named rebound ace.
The rebound ace was replaced by the blue Plexicushion surface in 2008 which assists in reducing heat retention, a constant problem throughout the years due to the sweltering Australian summer.
The money from the tournament is distributed equally between the men and the women.
Interesting Australian Open facts
- The first ever men’s singles tournament took place in 1905, and the opening women’s event took place 17 years later in 1922.
- The Australian Open was the first Grand Slam tournament to feature indoor play due to extreme weather conditions that would normally cease play – The US Open and Wimbledon have now followed the Aussie Open’s lead in installing a retractable roof
- Roger Federer and Serena Williams are the only players in Australian Open history to win the tournament on both the rebound ace and the plexicushion surfaces
- Martina Hingis is the youngest ever competitor to win an Australian Open game at the age of 16
- Australian tennis great Ken Roswell is both the youngest (18) and oldest (37) to win the Australian Open title
- Aussie ace Margret Court has won both the most consecutive Australian Open titles in history (7) and the most overall wins of the Grand Slam at 11
- Spaniard Rafael Nadal won the longest ever tennis match at the Australian Open against compatriot Fernando Verdasco in 2009 – the semi-final lasted an incredible 5 hours and 14 minutes
- Novak Djokovic holds the record for the most singles titles in Australian Open history with six – he has the record for most Oz Open finals played by a single man and has never lost an Australian Open final
- The 2016 Australian Open final between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray was a record fourth time the pair have met in a Grand Slam decider – Djokovic has hoisted the trophy on all four occasions
- Serena Williams holds the women’s record for most Australian Open finals contended (7) and most AO titles in history (6) – 2016 was her first ever loss in an Australian Open final
Tips for betting on the Australian Open
It’s hard for players to win out of turn on the men’s side
Grand Slam titles are hard to win at the best of times, but this is especially the case at the Australian Open.
Only four different players in the time period between 2006 and 2016 years have won the Australian Open on the men’s side and all four of these men have won two or more Grand Slam titles.
Furthermore, Novak Djokovic has competed in every final since 2010, just to highlight how dominant the top tier of men’s tennis have been at the Australian Open.
There is a reason Djokovic will go into the 2017 Australian Open as the $1.83 favourite almost a year in advance of the event – history tends to repeat itself in terms of Champions down under.
The women’s side is a different story
If the men’s side reads like a foregone conclusion, then the women’s draw looks more like a crap shoot than a form line that can be followed.
The period between 2013 and 2016 saw four different women win hoist the trophy on Rod Laver Arena, underlining just how difficult it is to have a sustained period of success at the Australian Open amongst a highly competitive WTA tour.
Best Bookies to place an Australian Open bet:
Looking to place any kind of bet on the Australian Open? Look no further than
Sportsbet.com.au: Markets are in place almost 12 months out from the major events, compounded with speciality markets and the widest range of markets on all matches, Sportsbet are one of the go-to destinations for serious punters.
Crownbet.com.au: They may be one of the new faces in the Australian sports betting landscape, but Crownbet have made great inroads to making sure tennis is one of their showpiece betting markets. Promotions for all the big slams go up weeks in advance of the tournament and their markets run as deep as anyone’s, making it a viable option for anyone looking to invest on tennis.
WilliamHill.com.au: Considering the game of tennis began in the land of England it is only fitting that we include one of the country’s biggest bookmakers, William Hill. William Hill have a great commitment to the game given they have Grand Slam markets up months in advance as well as all the challenger and tour events to go with it.
2016 Australian Open odds
All odds are provided by Sportsbet.com.au.
2016 Men’s Australian Open odds
The imposing record of six-time champion Novak Djokovic sees the Serbian installed as the almost unbackable price of $1.83.
Scottish product Andy Murray is next best in the market at $6, despite failing to lift the trophy after reaching final on five separate occasions.
Four time Australian Open winner Roger Federer is the only other man in single figures.
Novak Djokovic – $1.83
Andy Murray – $6
Roger Federer – $9
Stan Wawrinka – $13
Rafael Nadal – $17
Milos Raonic – $23
Kei Nishikori – $23
Nick Kyrgios – $34
Grigor Dimitrov – $51
Thomas Berdych – $51
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – $67
Bernard Tomic – $81
Marin Cilic – $81
Dominic Thiem – $81
Jon Isner – $101
Roberto Bautista-Agut – $101
Jack Sock – $101.00
Gael Monfils – $101.00
Borna Coric – $101.00
David Ferrer – $101.00
2016 Women’s Australian Open odds
Despite falling at the final hurdle, American superstar Serena Williams has been installed as the favourite for next year’s Australian Open.
2016 champion Angelique Kerber is a $17 outsider, while Maria Sharapova’s two year ban from tennis still has not convinced the team at Sportsbet.com.au that the Russian will not be competing in Melbourne next year.
French Open champion Gabrine Muguruza’s maiden title win at Roland Garos has seen her odds for the Australian Open slashed from $17 to $8.
Serena Williams – $2.88
Victoria Azarenka – $5.50
Gabrine Muguruza – $8
Maria Sharapova – $13
Petra Kvitova – $13
Simona Halep – $15
Angelique Kerber – $17
Belinda Bencic – $17
Agnieszka Radwanska – $23
Madison Keys – $34
Lucie Safarova – $34
Karolina Pliskova – $41
Johanna Konta – $51
Sloane Stephens – $51
Caroline Wozniacki – $51
Anna Ivanovic – $51
Dominika Cibulkova – $51
Egenie Bouchard – $51
Ekaterina Makarova – $51
Venus Williams – $67
Svetlana Kuznetsova – $81
Carla Suarez Navarro – $101
