Australian Open 2014: Experts' picks for the men's draw

4. Champion

Novak Djokovic

Abhishek Desikan: It will take some doing to defeat Novak Djokovic at the Open. But Rafael Nadal is the man who can, and will, achieve that feat.

Adnan Akhtar: The way Rafael Nadal performed on the hard courts in 2013, he would be my choice for lifting the trophy at the Rod Laver Arena. A tough draw might be the only deterrent, but I think Nadal has it in him to get past the other members of the “Big Four” and win the title.

Avantika Tikmany: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic heads into the Grand Slam tournament Down Under on the back of the greatest run in Australian Open history. Champion for the last three years in succession, and presented with an almost perfect draw at this year’s edition, Novak is a clear favourite for the title.

BallnRacquet: Novak Djokovic seems to be the best bet to lift the trophy. He has done it the past three years, and winning another title does not seem to be a difficult task for him at the moment. Andy Murray, who he ran into during two of his previous finals here, seems to be unstable after his surgery. Further boosting his chances will be his recent victories over nemesis Rafael Nadal.

Musab Abid: Novak Djokovic hasn’t lost in Melbourne since 2010. And he hasn’t lost a match anywhere since the US Open last year. Rafael Nadal will be a threat, as always, and if the two do reach the final then it will be difficult to proclaim a definitive favourite for the match. But the Serb has a point to prove this year, and that makes him just a tad more dangerous.

Roh: An overall 39-5 win-loss record at the Australian Open and a 22-0 win-loss record on hard courts since his defeat to Rafael Nadal at the USO last season are enough to make Novak Djokovic the favourite.

Varun Jog: Rafa or Djoko? Rafa or Djoko? It’s almost a rock-paper-scissors like situation for me, but I’d give the slight edge to Rafael Nadal. He’s been in good form this year, starting the year with a win in Doha – something he had previously never managed to do. Also, he knows history beckons with the double Grand Slam record and all that, and he normally lifts his game to match the occasion. He also seems to have the mental edge over Djokovic when it comes to Grand Slams at least, having defeated him in their last three Grand Slam meetings now. Besides, Djokovic has to lose sometime at the Aussie Open, right? Right?