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The Australian Open 2025 will get underway from January 12. The men's singles draw was made public on Thursday (January 9), and the spotlight was on the usual suspects. Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz landed in the same half of the draw and could meet in the quarterfinals.
Defending champion Jannik Sinner is in the other half, along with Taylor Fritz and Daniil Medvedev. The tour's top players are rightfully the leading title contenders, though given the quality and depth on the tour, there's a chance that someone could fly under the radar to lay his hands on the winner's trophy.
There are plenty of players who aren't ranked in the top 10 but are genuine threats to the tour's top guns. Here's a look at five dark horses who could potentially make a run for the men's singles title at the Australian Open 2025:
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#5 - Jakub Mensik
Czech teenager Mensik has quickly established himself as one of the brightest young stars of the future. He advanced to his maiden ATP final at last year's Qatar Open and reached his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal in Shanghai. He cracked the top 50 of the ATP rankings and made the second and third rounds of the Australian Open and the US Open on his debut.
Mensik has made a strong start to 2025. He reached the quarterfinals in Brisbane and was the runner-up in doubles. He's also a quarterfinalist at the ongoing ASB Classic. Carlos Alcaraz ascended to the top of the sport as a teenager in 2022, and the Czech youngster has the potential to follow in his footsteps.
#4 - Nick Kyrgios
Claiming a Major title after being sidelined for two years would be something only Kyrgios would manage to achieve. He was the runner-up at Wimbledon in 2022, losing to Djokovic in the final, and won the Australian Open doubles title to the delight of his home crowd that year as well.
Unfortunately, he is dealing with another injury concern just days into his comeback. However, if Kyrgios is healthy enough to compete, then he has the game to take out whoever is in front of him. It all comes down to how his body holds up, and if he focuses on the right things as well.
#3 - Frances Tiafoe
Tiafoe had his Major breakthrough at the Australian Open 2019 when he advanced to the quarterfinals of a Major for the first time. Since then he has progressed to the semifinals of the US Open in 2022 and 2024. The American's best results mostly have been limited to his home country but he has the chops to be a threat everywhere.
Tiafoe hasn't come close to matching his best showing at the Australian Open in recent years. However, he has a manageable draw, and once he gets a few wins under his belt, he could prove to be unstoppable.
#2 - Ben Shelton
Shelton reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open on his debut in 2023 and followed it up with a semifinal showing at the US Open later that year. He didn't match those highs in 2024 and has started 2025 on a losing note by failing to win his opener at the ASB Classic.
Shelton has shown what he's capable of in the past and will need to bring the same energy and focus to not only replicate but better those results. The American youngster has the goods to upstage the big names and just needs to hold his nerve in crucial moments to topple them. With a couple of deep runs at the Majors in the past, he knows what it takes to get the job done, and will be hopeful for another breakthrough in Melbourne.
#1 - Jack Draper
Draper's recurring health issues have stopped him from gaining some momentum on the tour. However, he managed to succeed last year despite being bogged down by injuries from time to time. He won his first couple of titles on the ATP Tour and reached the semifinals of the US Open, his best result at a Major to date.
Draper also peaked at No. 15 in the rankings. Draper hasn't been beyond the second round Down Under and withdrew from the United Cup as a precautionary measure at the start of the new season. However, if he's fully fit, then he could be difficult to stop.
Draper has been hailed as Andy Murray's successor, and he could achieve what his illustrious counterpart couldn't - win the Australian Open. The older Brit was the runner-up in Melbourne on five occasions, and the 23-year-old has the game and the fortitude to go all the way.
