Gauff, Murray, Alcaraz and others. Which tennis players can surprise at the Australian Open?

The start of the first Grand Slam of the season is approaching, the Australian Open will start on 17 January. Both men’s and women’s tennis are experiencing a very balanced era, and virtually anyone can shine. Last season, for example, Raducanu (winner of the US Open 2021) confirmed this. Let’s take a look at 5 names that can be among the dark horses of the tournament.

Andy Murray

the 34-year-old Scot is one of the greatest legends of the modern era. He won 3 Grand Slams, became a two-time Olympic champion, for some time he also basked in the 1st place of the rankings. But that successful period is long behind him.

In recent years, he has often struggled with an injured hip, and in 2018 he even had to undergo surgery. His condition was so serious that he even considered ending his career. While he was able to come back, performance-wise it wasn’t ideal. It was only in the last few months that he started to show signs of improvement. He won the scalps of Sinner and Hurkacz, and he was able to play an even match with Tsitsipas.

The beginning of the new season has been very successful for him. He defeated Evans and Nadal in the preliminary exhibition, which are very valuable victories. He is currently playing a tournament in Sydney, he has already reached the quarter-finals in the Australian capital and can attack his 47th career title.

The British tennis player can be very dangerous at the Australian Open. If the luck of the draw favours him, advancing to the second week could be a realistic ambition.

Carlos Alcaraz

The Spanish youngster is the great future of world tennis. He has great movement, strong mental resilience and his style of play is attacking, which often pays off. He showed his full potential in the previous season.He broke into the top 40 in the rankings, won two tournament titles, especially the title from the Rome Next Gen Finals was very valuable (tournament of the best young players).

He shone the most at the US Open, where he reached the quarterfinals and rewrote several records. He managed to knock out even the favored Tsitsipas and showed his tremendous quality. This season his performance growth will continue, especially at the Grand Slams he should show it regularly. He can already show his tremendous potential at the Australian Open.

Cameron Norrie

The great comet of last season, it was a breakthrough year for him. He has seen a huge progression in his game and has been able to keep his performance constant. Won two titles (Los Cabos, Indian Wells), reached the finals in 4 other tournaments, beat some top players. He finished 11th overall in the season ranking, which also earned him a spot in the Tournament of Champions.

He is at an ideal tennis age (26 years old). So it is quite possible that his progress will continue. He can rely on an excellent serve, great movement, or strong stroke confidence. He will be highly seeded at the first Grand Slam of the season and will have easier opponents in the first rounds.

He is also very comfortable playing on a hard surface, as he proved last season (25-11 positive record). His Grand Slam maximum is the 3rd round. It is quite possible that he will break his curse and advance to the second week of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in his career.

Cori Gauff

The young American is a generational talent. She has already won two tournament titles and is ranked 19th in the current rankings. And she’s only 17 years old. Not for nothing is she being hailed as the direct successor to Serena Williams. With her aggressive game and healthy self-confidence, she is quite similar to her in these aspects. Only time will tell if she can emulate her in terms of success (Williams has won 23 GS titles).

Gauff is definitely one of the names to be reckoned with. She has been in great form since the beginning of the season. She was able to beat the favourite Barty (world No. 1), she has already reached the quarterfinals in Adelaide and can aspire for the title. She probably won’t think about a Grand Slam triumph yet, but her journey through the tournament could be a long one.

Ana Konjuh

This Croatian used to be one of the great tennis hopes. She won 2 grand slams in the junior category, and won her first WTA title when she was only 17 years old. In 2016, she achieved her biggest Grand Slam success, playing in the quarterfinals of the US Open. However, a promising career was put on hold by a serious knee injury.

Due to a long absence, Konjuh dropped a lot in the rankings. She had to play lower category tournaments and had to earn her place in bigger tournaments through tough qualifiers. The Croatian has endured this difficult period and the worst is behind her. She is improving her game with every tournament and is currently ranked 65th. It won’t be long before she is close to her ranking maximum (20th place).

The former world No. 20 player is also doing well in the beginning of the current season. She currently boasts a record of 4 wins and 1 loss and is already in the quarterfinals of the Adelaide tournament. How far can she go at the Australian Open? Konjuh is an erratic player. An early exit is as realistic as advancing to the second week of the tournament. She should not be underestimated.

Source: Wikipedia, tennisportal