The torch has clearly been passed in the tennis world to a new generation of stars, and there seems to be more parity at the top of the sport than during the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era, but that doesn’t mean defending champions aren’t still entering Grand Slams as favorites. With the Australian Open draw out and the tournament beginning this weekend, defending singles champions Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka entered the tournament as favorites to repeat as winners.
Play in Melbourne begins on Sunday in Australia (Saturday night in the U.S.). American Sloane Stephens takes on Sabalenka in Day 1 first-round action.
Women’s singles odds
Sabalenka isn’t a clear favorite. She is +225 on BetMGM to win in Melbourne for the third straight time. Long gone are the days when Sabalenka had the serve yips and inconsistent performances, which held back her elite shot-making ability. The Belarusian has won three Slams in the past two years and has been a model of consistency. Outside of not competing in Wimbledon last year due to injury, Sabalenka has made at least the quarterfinals in her last eight Grand Slam appearances and made the semifinals seven times in that span.
Last year, Sabalenka became the first back-to-back winner in over a decade. She has a chance to become the first…
