World No. 1 Novak Djokovic was hoping to break a three-way tie with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for most career grand slam singles titles and capture his 21st by winning the Australian Open for a fourth straight time. But the lengthy saga involving the 34-year-old Serbian finally came to a conclusion Sunday as three judges unanimously upheld the Australian immigration minister's decision to cancel Djokovic's visa on public interest grounds because he is unvaccinated for COVID-19 and deported the star player. With Djokovic no longer in the equation, Daniil Medvedev has a much stronger chance of winning a second straight grand slam title when he takes the court at the 2022 Australian Open, which begins Monday at Melbourne Park.
Caesars Sportsbook lists Medvedev, who won his first career grand slam title at the 2021 U.S. Open, as the +140 favorite in the latest 2022 Australian Open odds. Alexander Zverev (+250), Nadal (+550) and Stefanos Tsitsipas (+1600) round out the list of the top four 2022 Australian Open contenders. Before making any 2022 Australian Open picks or predictions, check out the expert tennis picks and analysis from famed handicapper Sean Calvert.
Calvert is the famed handicapper who called Stan Wawrinka winning the 2014 Australian Open at 60-1 – the last Australian title won by someone other than Djokovic or Federer. In 2019, Calvert took down a huge score on Dominic Thiem winning Indian Wells at 80-1, among many stunning calls.
And in 2021, he nailed both of his bets for the Wimbledon men's singles final: Djokovic to beat Matteo Berrettini three sets to one (+275) and Djokovic to win and both players to win a set (+130). Anyone following his picks is way up.
Now, Calvert has scrutinized the latest Australian Open 2022 odds and released his coveted best bets to win it all. He's sharing all his picks and analysis at SportsLine.
Top 2022 Australian Open men's predictions
One shocker: Calvert is not picking Nadal, even though the 35-year-old Spaniard is one of the favorites at +550. Nadal made his first appearance in the final of the Australian Open in 2009 and outlasted Federer in a five-set match that is considered to be one of the best in the history of the tournament. But he's made only four return visits, losing each time - most recently in 2019 against Djokovic.
Many questions surround Nadal in regard to his health. A foot injury hampered him for much of 2021 and caused him to officially put an end to his season in late August, shortly before the U.S. Open. He participated in an exhibition tournament known as the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi last month but tested positive for COVID-19 after returning home, leaving his status for the Australian Open up in the air.
Nadal managed to return to the court earlier this month and claimed his 89th career ATP title by winning the Melbourne Summer Set. But it wasn't exactly a cakewalk for him, as he needed to win a tie-breaker in the first set of the final, and he likely won't have an easy road to what would be a record 21st grand slam singles title.
How to make 2022 Australian Open men's picks
Calvert has locked in his best bets, and they include a pair of long shots who would bring big returns. He's especially high on one player who "fits the bill to produce the sort of performance we saw from Stan Wawrinka here all those years ago, when he won it as a +6000 chance." You need to see his picks and analysis before considering any 2022 Australian Open bets.
So who wins the Australian Open 2022? And which long shots could take the crown? Visit SportsLine now to see Sean Calvert's bets for the 2022 Australian Open, all from the renowned tennis expert who called Wawrinka winning this event at 60-1.
2022 Australian Open odds (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Daniil Medvedev +140
Alexander Zverev +250
Rafael Nadal +550
Stefanos Tsitsipas +1600
Carlos Alcaraz +2000
Jannik Sinner +2000
Andrey Rublev +3300
Matteo Berrettini +3300
Aslan Karatsev +5000
Felix Auger-Aliassime +5000
Hubert Hurkacz +6600
Cameron Norrie +6600
Gael Monfils +6600
Denis Shapovalov +8000
Andy Murray +8000
Casper Ruud +8000
David Goffin +10000
Nick Kyrgios +10000
Cristian Garin +10000
Lorenzo Sonego +10000
Karen Khachanov +10000
Roberto Bautista Agut +10000
Alex De Minaur +10000
Pablo Carreno-Busta +15000
Marin Cilic +15000
Reilly Opelka +15000
Ugo Humbert +15000
Grigor Dimitrov +15000
Diego Schwartzman +15000
Thanasi Kokkinakis +15000
Frances Tiafoe +20000
Corentin Moutet +20000
Lloyd Harris +20000
Maxime Cressy +20000
Brandon Nakashima +20000
Daniel Evans +20000
Alexei Popyrin +20000
Tomas Machac +20000
John Isner +20000
Sebastian Korda +20000
Benjamin Bonzi +20000
Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune +20000
Taylor Fritz +20000
Nikoloz Basilashvili +20000
Tommy Paul +20000
Philipp Kohlschreiber +20000
Jan-Lennard Struff +20000
Emil Ruusuvuori +20000
