Novak Djokovic is going for his 11th Australian Open men's singles title this week.

Five Takeaways from Week 1 at the 2024 Australian Open

The favorites are reigning, and the sleeper picks have wreaked havoc again. Let’s recap Week 1 at the 2024 Australian Open matches with five things that stood out to UTR Sports.

1. Coco Gauff En Route to major No. 2?

Is the 2023 US Open champion about to go back-to-back with major singles titles? With Iga Swiatek bounced early, Coco Gauff (UTR Rating 12.89) is the leading pick to win the 2024 Australian Open women’s singles title, according to UTR Sports INSIGHTS, which gives her a 34% chance to take home her first Grand Slam Down Under.

The 19-year-old has yet to drop a set and is 9-0 on the year after winning the Auckland title to kick off 2024. A semifinal matchup with second seed Aryna Sabalenka, which would be a rematch of their 2023 US Open final, looms.


2. Novak Djokovic Playing at a Silly Level

Novak Djokovic (16.26) doesn’t have 11 Australian Open titles yet, but his form in Week 1 in Melbourne implies it's coming. The Serbian led Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 6-0, 6-0, 1-0 in their fourth-round match before Mannarino won a game and belted out a smile inside Rod Laver Arena.

READ MORE: UTR Rating Top 10 men's tennis players: Djokovic, Alcaraz, Sinner...

Djokovic, winner of 24 Grand Slams, is through to his 58th major quarterfinal, tying him with Roger Federer’s all-time record, and Djokovic will meet American Taylor Fritz (15.67). The Serbian dismissed Fritz in straight sets in the 2023 US Open quarterfinals and is 8-0 against the California native.

UTR Sports Insights has Djokovic as a 28% favorite to stroll through week 2 and make it 11 Down Under.

3. Taylor Fritz Flies American Flag for Men

Tommy Paul (15.64), 2023 Australian Open semifinalist, crashed out in the third round. Seventeenth seed Frances Tiafoe (15.54) fell to Tomas Machac (15.54) of the Czech Republic. And 2023 US Open semi finalist Ben Shelton (15.64) couldn’t reach the Round of 16.

So the flag-flying in the American men’s singles draw has fallen to Fritz again. Now time for Djokovic, whom Fritz has yet to take a set off through eight matches. INSIGHTS gives Fritz an 18% chance of pulling off the ultimate upset.


4. Teen Spirit and Upsets Abound

Mirra Andreeva (12.68) knows why she played so much better this year in the Australian Open women’s singles draw than she did last year, when she lost in the final of the Australian Open junior girls tournament.

“I just feel like I’m a bit more mature,” said Andreeva, who is 16.

Reminded of her still young age by the on-court interviewer in Australia, Andreeva replied, “That’s true, but last year I was 15! So, in this year I think I changed a lot and I think you can see that on the court.”

Andreeva reached the fourth round in Australia and beat three-time major finalist Ons Jabeur 6-0, 6-2 en route.

On the men’s side, Nuno Borges of Portugal (14.83) more than shook up the draw. The former Mississippi State Bulldog performed as if he had a UTR Rating of 15.32 in his four matches. He also recorded the biggest upset of the tournament (by UTR Rating) when he knocked out No. 13 Grigor Dimitrov (15.58).

While the teens and college kids stood out, so did the moms. Melbourne was the site of Naomi Osaka and Caroline Wozniacki's Grand Slam comebacks, while Elina Svitolina's strong form could only be stopped by an unfortunate back injury.

5. Sabalenka Ready to Defend?

Forget about Coco for a second, what about Aryna Sabalenka’s (12.85) dominant start to the season’s first major championship? The Belarusian is looking to go back-to-back in Australia and has yet drop four games in a single set. Through four matches, her average set score has been 6-1.

INSIGHTS gives her a 28% chance of winning back-to-back Australian Open titles.


INSIGHTS Odds: Who Will Win the 2024 Australian Open?

Eight players are left in each singles draw, and unfortunately for the locals, no Australians (United Cup hero Alex de Minaur went the furthest with a fourth-round run). UTR Sports INSIGHTS has calculated a percentage chance for who is most likely to lift a trophy this weekend.


Novak Djokovic - 28%
Jannik Sinner - 21%
Daniil Medvedev - 18%
Carlos Alcaraz - 14%
Alexander Zverev - 9%
Andrey Rublev - 6%
Hubert Hurkacz - 3%
Taylor Fritz - 2%

Coco Gauff - 34%
Aryna Sabalenka - 28%
Qinwen Zheng - 17%
Linda Noskova - 9%
Barbora Krejcikova - 5%
Anna Kalinskaya - 4%
Dayana Yastremska - 2%
Marta Kostyuk - 2%


*UTR Ratings and percentages as Jan. 22, 2024.

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