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Next in the 25 favorites to watch out for in the 2025 Australian Open men's singles draw series list are seven ATP stars, including the flamboyant Ben Shelton, the forever-buzzing Nick Kyrgios, and others.
Since the Melbourne Major is less than three weeks away, let's discuss the prospects of these men separately.
#17 Ben Shelton
Ben Shelton announced his arrival to the tennis world by producing a run to the quarterfinals in his Australian Open debut in 2023. Later that year, he also reached the semifinals of the US Open. Thus, he'll be itching to go one step further in his Grand Slam journey at Melbourne Park in 2025.
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In 2024, the big-serving American registered a 42-26 win-loss record, claiming the ATP 250 trophy in Houston. He also reached the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Open while also making it to the final of the Swiss Indoors and the semifinals of the Citi Open in Washington.
#16 Frances Tiafoe
Frances Tiafoe also is no stranger to the big stages, as he has had two appearances each in semifinals and quarterfinals of Grand Slams. The World No. 18 ended the 2024 season with a 33-26 win-loss tally, notably reaching his maiden ATP Masters 1000 final in Cincinnati and the US Open semifinals.
Tiafoe's best run at the Australian Open was reaching the quarterfinals in 2019. Since, then, the American has developed immensely as a player and if he is able to play at his best, there is a good chance of him making it deep in Melbourne.
#15 Jack Draper
Jack Draper produced some impressive tennis in this season, reaching a career-high ranking of World No. 15. The Brit won 39 out of 61 matches in 2024, reaching his maiden Grand Slam semifinal at the US Open.
Draper also won two titles at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna and the BOSS Open in Stuttgart. The 23-year-old is among the finest young talents in tennis at present and if he is at his fittest, he is capable of having a good run at Australian Open 2025.
#14 Holger Rune
Holger Rune holds immense promise in his tennis but hasn't been able to convert it into consistent great results thus far. Once put on the same scale as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the Dane has not been able to reach any further than the quarterfinals at any of the Majors.
However, the World No. 13, who finished 2024 with a 45-23 win-loss record, can't be written off at the 2025 Australian Open, given the talent he possesses. The Dane had his fair share of struggles in 2024 but if he is close to his best, beating him will not be easy in Melbourne.
#13 Tommy Paul
A semifinalist at the 2023 Australian Open, Tommy Paul is another player who cannot be written off in the upcoming edition of the Happy Slam.
Paul recorded 45 wins in 64 matches on the ATP Tour in 2024, taking home three trophies from his exploits in Dallas, London (Queen's Club), and Stockholm. Furthermore, he reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
Having already had a good run at the Australian Open, the American will be in good spirits ahead of the tournament's 2025 edition.
#12 Stefanos Tsitsipas
Among the seven men mentioned, Stefanos Tsitsipas boasts of the best Grand Slam numbers, having finished as a runner-up twice and semifinalist four times.
He came incredibly close to championing the Australian Open in 2023 but couldn't breach the Novak Djokovic defence in the title clash. However, he kept the 24-time Major winner on his toes throughout in an otherwise 6-3, 7-6(4), 7-6(5) loss.
#11 Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios, who hasn't played Grand Slam tennis since a quarterfinal appearance at the 2022 US Open, is gearing up for a blockbuster return to competitive tennis after a more than 18-month-long hiatus.
A doubles champion at the 2022 Australian Open (with Thanasi Kokkinakis), Kyrgios has set ambitious goals for himself in the second leg of his career. In an interview he gave to Code Sports in October this year, the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up said:
"I think the one thing that is now on my target is a Grand Slam. I think that will be the only thing that will shut people up at the end of the day. That’ll be my deep motivation."
Moreover, he's openly challenged World No. 1 and defending Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner, saying:
"I just want to go out there and I really want to play Sinner. Like I'm waiting for it man... like if I played him in Australian Open, like I would get every single person in the crowd to just like get on him. Like I would just turn it into an absolute riot. Like I would lose all respect, all respect would go out the window and I would just do anything to win." (via Nothing Major Podcast)
To know about the previous entry in this list, click here.
