As the end of the year rolls around, many major sporting events come to their winter break as competition winds down for the colder months, for tennis fans however, the wait for the start of the grand slam season isn’t too long of a wait as the Australian Open gets started on January 14th in 2024, and the first Sunday start for the event too. As first major tennis event of the year, there’s a lot to be excited for, and as a sports fan in general it’s a fantastic way to get the year underway. So, what should we expect from the 2024 Australian Open?
Nadal’s final circuit? – Nadal is one of tennis’ all time greats, and we’ve been privileged to seen him sharing the court with many of the greatest of all time tennis players on his way to his 22 grand slam titles. Unfortunately, his career has been riddled with chronic injuries and it was one of such injuries that threatened the Spaniards hopes for a 2024 start in Australia. It has since been confirmed that Nadal will be competing in Australia, what sort of performance we’ll get is yet to be seen, but there have been hints that this could be Nadal’s final circuit, but may also see change there.
Upset Potential – Whilst there are certainly favorites going into the competition, as with any professional sport that are potentials for major upsets too and other players to emerge on the top spot. It’ll come as no surprise that Djokovic has been pinned as the winner for the men’s division and will remain as the wagering favorite through sites at Limitless Casino for the best odds. For the Women’s side of things, Iga Swiatek has been pinned as the favorite here with a recent return to very strong form, but odds remain close for this side of things so there certainly could be a major change in the potential winner here.
Increased Play Sessions – One of the biggest changes to this event, with the addition of an extra day, has been the increase in the number of playing sessions for the event seeing an increased from 47 to 52, and for tennis fans this is only good news, and it brings more tennis to watch. It’s yet to be seen if the longer format for a 15-day event will become common, and this Australian Open may be a catalyst for longer events to become possible.
A step-up in prize money – The prize pot for these major events continues to grow and this years open is no different seeing a 3.4% increase from 2023 – the event is offering a record $76.5 million in prize money which will be split amongst the men and women equally. Tournament winners will walk away with a cool $4.5 million each, and there are plenty of ranking points for players to grab too.
It’s set to be an extremely exciting event and a major change for the Australian Open in a number of ways, it could be a hallmark event that may look to change future opens with an extended schedule and a growing prize pool too, and if you’re a tennis fan this won’t be one to miss.
