Australian Open 2025: Players to watch

Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size This story is part of the January 11 tennis edition of Good Weekend. See all 11 stories . Major tennis tournaments are like an inverted pyramid or upside-down iceberg. There’s much more at the ­bottom than the top. The Australian Open’s fortnight is a battle of attrition, with the number of competitors going down, down, down, until just a handful remain. Finals get the focus and record audiences but, for spectators, there’s much more going on in the early rounds. More matches, more surprising results, a better chance of seeing players who are worth watching and possibly may never be back in town again. A little homework pays off. Scan the schedules and underline the names of former champions, veterans with flair and a little less leg-speed than before, and youngsters being touted as “Next Big Things”. There are fewer things in sport more ­satisfying than being able to say of a finalist, “Ah yes, I saw him/her close-up on Court 17 just a few years back when nobody knew who they were.” The biggest names get the biggest courts and the prime-time slots. But the matches worth watching can be squeezed between others far from the main stadiums. Do that research. Sit back. Relax. Enjoy. MEN Jannik Sinner. Jannik Sinner | Italy

Age: 23

Ranking: 1*

Biggest moment: Bringing joy to redheads everywhere by winning AO 2024 The fleet-footed Italian redhead is ­defending champion, world No.1, and remains apparently serene, despite some storm clouds overhead off court. He’ll be attempting to emulate the likes of Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as a ­back-to-back ­winner in Melbourne.

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Alex de Minaur. Alex de Minaur | Australia

Age: 25

Ranking: 8

Biggest moment: Cracking the top 10 in 2024 Shh. Keep it quiet. Because, once again, he’s Australia’s greatest hope of ending a drought stretching back to 1976 – the last time a local won the men’s singles. If he can shut out the hype, and politely refuse requests to be photographed draped in the Aussie flag, the dogged baseliner, now entrenched in the top 10, may yet find his happy ending. Carlos Alcaraz. Carlos Alcaraz | Spain

Age: 21

Ranking: 3

Biggest moment: So much, so soon: topping the rankings at age 19 It’s ridiculous. He’s 21, has been world No.1, and has won three of the four major ­titles. The only one missing? The AO. Nobody will be more aware of this than Alcaraz, who now, with Rafa Nadal in retirement, is everybody’s

favourite Spaniard. He’s already established ­intriguing rivalries with Sinner and Djokovic – and is never, ever dull. Jordan Thompson.

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Jordan Thompson | Australia

Age: 30

Ranking: 27

Biggest moment: Slow burner – best results last year After a groundbreaking year in which he won an ATP singles title and the US Open doubles, the veteran Australian made his way into the world top 30 – which was appropriate as he also turned 30. He has all the shots and, more importantly, a pirate’s beard. Tennis needs a hairy champion, so back the bristles. Gaël Monfils. Gaël Monfils | France

Age: 38

Ranking: 52

Biggest moment: Moments (plural) – Mr Charisma anywhere Catch him while you can. He’s 38 but still one of the most spectacular shot-makers in the game. While never hitting the heights once tipped for him (his highest ranking was No. 6 in 2016), he’s long been a crowd favourite because of his fizz and flair. He likes the Open, too, having twice advanced to the quarter-finals. Daniil Medvedev. Daniil Medvedev | Russia

Age: 28

Ranking: 5

Biggest moment: Winning the US Open in 2021

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Every family show needs a pantomime villain; the lanky Russian has embraced the role. He’s overdue for a break. Three times he’s been runner-up in Melbourne. Twice – in 2022 and then last year – he led two sets to love in the final. One more set, Daniil, just one, and you can scrap your ­self-deprecating concession speech. Frances Tiafoe. Frances Tiafoe | United States

Age: 26 (Happy birthday for January 20)

Ranking: 17

Biggest moment: Reaching the US Open semis in 2022 and ’24 Oh boy, those muscles. Sleeveless shirts were made for this all-American guy. At the last major, the US Open, he came so close to the final. If he gets on a roll, his bazooka serve could take him even ­further here. The heat doesn’t bother him and he loves a big crowd. Perfect for prime-time viewing. Adrian Mannarino. Adrian Mannarino | France

Age: 36

Ranking: 73

Biggest moment: Achieving his highest-ever ranking (17) at 35 The French veteran is the ideal ­answer to the question: Is tennis today all crash, bang, wallop? Well, not when Mannarino, who has twice reached the AO’s fourth round, is your man. His changes of pace, guile and court-craft can leave less ­versatile players flummoxed and frustrated before they head for the exit.

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Alexei Popyrin. Alexei Popyrin | Australia

Age: 25

Ranking: 25

Biggest moment: Winning his first Masters 1000 title; Canadian Open 2024 The lanky young Australian is the anti-Adrian. Power is his middle name, and he harnessed it to full effect in 2024, winning a Masters 1000 title and leaping inside the world’s top 30. Knocking off Djokovic at the US Open en route to the fourth round boosted his confidence, credibility and chances of doing even better here. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard | France

Age: 21

Ranking: 30

Biggest moment: Reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2024 Remember this name. All of it. Big ­predictions are being made about the sky-scraping 21-year-old from Lyon, who didn’t make it through the Australian Open ­qualifying rounds last January, but then romped into the fourth round at Wimbledon, sending down 51 aces – yes, 51 – in one match. By year’s end, he was being held in ­seriously high regard. WOMEN

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