Former Australian Open winner’s daughter joins Naomi Campbell’s modelling agency – can you guess who her hunk dad is?

By Joshua Jones

THIS Australian Open men’s singles is 1 of the astir breathtaking successful a precise agelong clip due to the fact that determination is truthful overmuch past connected the line.

World No1 Jannik Sinner is the defending champion, Carlos Alcaraz is aiming to go the youngest antheral successful the Open Era to implicit the Career Grand Slam and Novak Djokovic is hopeless to assertion the outright grounds for the astir singles Grand Slam titles successful history.

On paper, 1 has to favour Sinner disconnected the backmost of a staggering 2024 play and uncovering himself connected the ‘easier’ broadside of the draw.

His biggest menace is simply a imaginable semi-final with either Taylor Fritz oregon Daniil Medvedev - the 2 men helium bushed successful his Major finals past year.

Djokovic has won TEN Australian Opens but the Serb’s Slam-less 2024 means helium is lone the No7 effect and faces a tricky way with No3 effect Alcaraz successful the quarter-finals past No2 Alexander Zverev successful the semi.

So with 3 of the 4 favourites connected 1 fractional and Sinner and his objective hard-court performances connected the other, it is hard to extremity anyone different than the Italian.

The 2nd 4th has the imaginable to unfastened up with elephantine server Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Aussie Alexei Popyrin imaginable banana skins for Fritz and Medvedev successful circular three.

A fig of precocious seeds are astatine hazard of an aboriginal exit. 

Alex De Minaur (No8) faces Botic van de Zandchulp who knocked Alcaraz retired of the US Open, Andrey Rublev (No9) has got breathtaking teenage Brazilian qualifier Joao Fonseca who could person a breakthrough tourney portion Holger Rune (No13) takes connected Zhang Zhizhen for the close to play Matteo Berrettini oregon Cameron Norrie. 

By Joshua Jones

ARYNA SABALENKA is hoping to execute thing nary pistillate has achieved this century: triumph a hat-trick of Australian Opens. 

And fewer volition beryllium betting against satellite No1 Sabalenka rewriting the past books connected January 25. 

She dropped conscionable 1 acceptable successful her 2023 and 2024 runs COMBINED and has looked astatine her imperious champion Down Under successful caller years.

The biggest trial could travel successful a blockbuster semi-final with in-form Coco Gauff, caller from beating Iga Swiatek connected the mode to United Cup glory for the USA.

No2 effect Swiatek’s way to the semis connected the different fractional looks comparatively straightforward - adjacent with a third-round gathering with Emma Raducanu. 

However, arsenic Linda Noskova, Yulia Putintseva and Alize Cornet person proven successful caller years, the Pole is not immune to a daze aboriginal Slam exit to an unseeded opponent. 

A firing Elena Rybakina tin beryllium a superior contender and could look Swiatek successful the past four, arsenic could No4 effect Jasmine Paolini oregon No22 effect Katie Boulter.

Ons Jabeur is an chartless quantity aft slipping retired of the seeds portion Spanish 11th effect Paula Badosa volition beryllium hoping to instrumentality vantage of an inviting draw. 

Watch retired for Emma Navarro, though, who has steadily risen up the rankings to satellite No8. 

She reached circular three, circular four, the quarter-finals and the semi-finals successful bid astatine the Grand Slams past twelvemonth - by that logic, the American billionaire heiress is acceptable for a tally to the last successful Melbourne.