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Once news broke that Djokovic would not compete at the 2022 Australian Open, the men’s title suddenly became up for grabs. Of course, there are still other favourites involved in the event. These names include Medvedev, Nadal, Tsitsipas, and Zverev. However, based on the first two or three rounds, there are a few names that have slid under the radar who I feel have an outside shot of winning the thing. That’s exactly what I’d like to focus on within this quick read, so let’s get started right now.
Three Guys You Might Have Missed
We all know who the favourites for the event are in the men’s draw. So rather than talking about those names, why not have some fun and consider the possibility of an outside winner? The guys mentioned below are my top picks for a potential underdog winner at the 2022 Australian Open.
Gael Monfils
Monfils has always been one of the most entertaining players on the ATP Tour. And looking at his start to 2022, he is looking fantastic. Of course, he won the Adelaide 1 event, beating guys like Khachanov and Kokkinakis en-route. This makes him one of just a handful of players that have already won a title in 2022. So far at the Australian Open, he has dismantled talented players such as Bublik and Garin. It’s not so much his match wins that have impressed me most with Monfils, it’s more the way he is playing.
He is absolutely smoking the ball, and if he keeps this up, he could well be a contender for the tournament.
Matteo Berrettini
Many people had written Berrettini off prior to the Australian Open. He ended the 2021 season with an injury at the end of year masters, which was sad to see. In addition to this, he hadn’t played a whole load of tennis prior to the Australian Open. Sure, he played a few matches at the ATP Cup, but he didn’t get a bunch of court time. So when he came to play at the open, not many thought he would progress too far. However, he is now into the fourth round, having beaten a huge prospect in the form of Carlos Alcaraz in round three.
And in my opinion, he seemed to be fully fit after his 2021 injury. He also seemed to have a fantastic belief in his abilities, which is important.
Jannik Sinner
Sinner has got off to a flying start in 2022. At the ATP Cup, he didn’t lose a match, not in singles play anyway. In fact, he didn’t even lose a set. He also hasn’t dropped a set yet at the 2022 Australian Open. From what I’ve seen, he is moving great, serving well, and his groundstrokes are looking absolutely huge. Sure, Sinner isn’t as experienced as some of the other guys in the draw, but youthfulness could well be his biggest strength.
He is a fearless player and he is certainly capable of taking down the big guys. That’s why I feel he has an outside chance of lifting the trophy.
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