Super-Early Odds to Win the 2015 Australian Open After the US Open
The U.S. Open is in the books, as is the entirety of the 2014 Grand Slam season. So, instead of going into mourning, it's time to look ahead at the next Slam, the 2015 Australian Open.
That's right, in four short months, the all-stars of men's and women's tennis will meet up once again to battle it out for the right to become a major champion.
We saw a lot of unexpected things happen this year at the big events. The men had first-time winners in Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic, while the women saw no first-time Slam winners but had very little consistency from event to event.
In both tours, there are a lot of players in the next generation, from Simona Halep to Kei Nishikori, who are ready to step up.
The proven champions are still ruling both tours, though, as you will see in my look at the odds for Australia. Let's not be sad about the past, tennis fans. Let's just look to the future.
Petra Kvitova
1 of 10
Odds to Win: 12-1
Petra Kvitova has the talent to win any of the Grand Slams, but so far she's only been able to put it all together at Wimbledon, where she's won twice.
However, there have been signs this year that she's finally ready to make a push at other Slams, and Australia would be a good place to start. She's as fit as she's ever been, so the heat shouldn't be as big of a factor, and the hard courts are great for her game.
Kvitova made it to the semifinals of the Australian Open back in 2012, and she'll be aiming to make it a step or two farther in 2015.
Stan Wawrinka
2 of 10
Odds to Win: 12-1
Don't forget about the defending champion.
Wawrinka had trouble in his first major after winning the 2014 Australian Open, falling in the first round of the French Open. But since then, he's picked up his consistency and confidence, making the quarterfinals of Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, falling to Roger Federer and Kei Nishikori, respectively.
He's never going to be as dominant as the Nadals and Federers of the world, but Wawrinka is a threat in every tournament he enters. At the site of his biggest triumph, he'll be one to watch.
Li Na
3 of 10
Odds to Win: 8-1
It's hard to say what's going on with Li Na these days, as she took off the summer with an injury and caused retirement rumors to swirl. However if she does play the 2015 Australian Open, the defending champion will be a threat.
The two-time major champion seems to always play her best tennis in Melbourne. She's made it to the final for the past two years and three out of the past four, and with a lot of Asian support at the tournament, she always puts on a show.
Tennis is a lot more fun with an in-form Li Na around, so hopefully she'll be back.
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Roger Federer
4 of 10
Odds to Win: 10-1
Can't we count this old guy out yet? Not so fast, I say. While Federer is 33 years old and missed a couple of golden opportunities to win his 18th Slam this year, he's still been one of the most consistent players on tour this year.
Most of all, his close calls prove that he still has what it takes to contend for a Slam, and—as we saw with Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic this year—all a player needs is a chance.
His consistency and resume put him this high on the list, but he's still behind some of his rivals who are in the prime of their careers.
"I’ll give it a go again in Australia; hope to be healthy there," he said after his loss in the U.S. Open semis to Cilic, via Kevin Mitchell of The Guardian. "I enjoy playing there. It’s been one of my most consistent slams. I hope to get another chance at it."
Maria Sharapova
5 of 10
Odds to Win: 13-2
Maria Sharapova now has five Slams to her name, with the French Open being the only major she's won twice—a stat that would have sounded bizarre at the beginning of her career when she struggled on clay.
Now, she's looking to win the rest of the Slams for a second time. She won the Australian Open for the only time in her career back in 2008, and she has only made it back to the final there one other time, in 2012.
But the slower hard courts suit Sharapova's aggressive game well, and so she's certainly one of the women to fear.
Andy Murray
6 of 10
Odds to Win: 9-2
At some point, Andy Murray is going to have to snap out of this slump that he's been in since his back surgery at the end of 2013 and a sudden split with his coach, Ivan Lendl, in the spring.
He showed signs of life at the U.S. Open, getting his first top-10 win of the year when he took out Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the fourth round and pushing Novak Djokovic to four sets in a physical quarterfinal.
Now, he can use this fall season to find his mojo again and return to Australia ready to reestablish himself at the top of the game. He's made the final of the Australian Open three out of the last five years. It's time to see if he can get that win.
Victoria Azarenka
7 of 10
Odds to Win: 6-1
Both of Victoria Azarenka's Slams have come at the Australian Open, and so if she's injury free, there's no reason she couldn't win it for a third time.
The Belarusian has been injured for most of the 2014 season, but she showed her trademark fight in New York as she battled her way to the quarterfinals despite a lack of form and fitness.
With the rest of the 2014 season left to help her get match tough and four months to become completely healthy, we could have the Azarenka who was No. 1 not so long ago back Down Under.
The trickiest thing for Azarenka will be her draw. She's currently ranked No. 24, and while that might improve this fall, she'll still be in danger of drawing you-know-who earlier on in the tournament than she'd like.
Rafael Nadal
8 of 10
Odds to Win: 3-1
The U.S. Open certainly wasn't the same without defending champion Rafael Nadal, and it will be great to have him back at the Australian Open.
As long as he's healthy, there's no reason not to believe that Nadal can contend for the title Down Under, no matter how much he decides to play this fall. He's talented enough and professional enough to challenge for the title from the get-go.
He's made the final of the Australian Open three times, winning once. A healthy, in-his-prime Nadal should be favored over almost everyone.
Serena Williams
9 of 10
Odds to Win: 2-1
Could anyone else be at the top of this list for the women?
Serena Williams just won her 18th major title at the U.S. Open, tying her for second on the all-time list with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, so she'll begin chasing down Steffi Graf's 22 in Oz.
Serena has won the Australian Open five times in her illustrious career, but she's struggled at the tournament lately. The last time she won was in 2010, and she hasn't made it past the quarterfinals since.
But with the time clock on her career rapidly ticking, Serena knows there's no more time to mess around if she wants to make more history. If she stays that motivated in Australia—and avoids the nagging injuries that have slowed her down there the last few years—it's hard not to see her holding the trophy at the end of the fortnight.
Novak Djokovic
10 of 10
Odds to Win: 3-2
Meet the one exception to Rafael Nadal's favorite status: Novak Djokovic.
Is Djokovic as dominant as he once was? No, of course not. That type of dominance is nearly impossible for any human being to maintain. But he's still the favorite, especially in Australia.
The Serb has won the Australian Open four times in his career, including three out of the last four years. He's also still the No. 1 player in the world, in case you've forgotten. The year 2015 will be time for a fresh start, and Djokovic will want to start the season with a Slam.
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