ED MCGROGAN, SENIOR EDITOR: Andy Murray
He’s in the more difficult half of the draw and may have to beat Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic to win it all. But I’m not going to overthink this (number) one: Murray is beyond due for his first Australian Open title, and despite his loss to Djokovic in Doha, is playing the best tennis of his life.
NINA PANTIC, ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Andy Murray
He’s never won Down Under, and he’s never beaten Djokovic in Melbourne, but if Andy Murray is ever going to win the Australian Open, this is the year. He’s coming into a Slam as the top seed for the first time ever, and while he recently lost to Djokovic, that doesn’t undo what he accomplished in 2016. Expect to see the Scot grimacing and groaning his way to the podium.
BRAD KALLET, ONLINE EDITOR: Novak Djokovic
The world No. 2 is feeling great after his victory over Murray in the Doha final, and seems refreshed and refocused in the new year. As good as Murray has been over the past few months, let’s not forget that Djokovic has beaten him in four Australian Open finals. Think that’s not in the Scot’s head?
STEVE TIGNOR, SENIOR WRITER: Andy Murray
The 29-year-old has spent a decade reaching his goals one by one. Olympic Gold, Wimbledon, Davis Cup, the No. 1 ranking: He’s checked each of them off. The Aussie Open is next. With four runner-up finishes, he’s the best player at the event never to have won it. This is his best chance to leave that dubious distinction behind.
MCGROGAN: Gilles Simon
The third quarter of the draw presents great opportunity, even to the higher seeds like Milos Raonic, Gael Monfils and Rafael Nadal. But Simon, a veteran who knows how to win over five sets and in taxing conditions, seems underseeded at 25. The higher seeds shouldn’t take him lightly.
PANTIC: Ivo Karlovic
The 37-year-old is playing with nothing to lose after his best season ever in 2016. He finished inside the Top 20 for the first time—that’s got to mean something for the season ahead. On the hot hard courts in Melbourne, the Croat’s big serving game should help carry him into week two.
KALLET:Alexander Zverev
Nobody—not Murray, Djokovic or anyone else in the Top 10—wants to see the 19-year-old German in Melbourne. He should breeze into the third round, where he might meet Nadal. That would be a test for the teenager, but an upset of the 14-time Grand Slam champion wouldn’t be a shocker.
TIGNOR: Jack Sock
Sock is a standard pick for a Grand Slam dark horse, mainly because he has Top 10 talent mixed with a ranking outside the Top 20. His serve and forehand will always be world-class, and we’ve heard a lot about his off-season training regimen this year. If he really is ready at age 24, his draw to the quarterfinals is promising.
MCGROGAN: Marin Cilic
The seventh-seeded Croat isn’t far removed from a season that saw him play into late November. Whether or not the Davis Cup runner-up is fully recovered, he could meet Bernard Tomic, who should get a hometown boost, and Sock or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga all before the quarterfinals.
PANTIC: Gael Monfils
The last time we saw the entertaining Frenchman play at a Slam, he was turning Arthur Ashe Stadium into a circus during a confounding loss to Djokovic. Monfils has yet to been seen in 2017, and though he’s at a career-high ranking of No. 6, you just never know what to expect from him. That’s not a good thing at age 30.
KALLET:Tomas Berdych
The Czech doesn’t inspire much confidence anymore, and it seems like only a matter of time before he falls out of the Top 10 for good. Should he reach the third round, he’ll likely have to get past Federer. He might have to oust Nicholas Mahut first, and I’m not so sure he will.
TIGNOR: Dominic Thiem
Thiem comes to Melbourne having already having played both weeks, but without looking all that impressive either time. The No. 8 seed has a good draw to the quarters, where he’s slated to meet Djokovic. But Thiem seems ripe for a sophomore slump in 2017.