Australian Open 2025: Three massive storylines to watch (and one to ignore)

The 2025 Australian Open begins on Sunday, January 12, and this year we do not enter the event with Novak Djokovic being once again the hands-down favorite to win on the men's side. This might make the tournament even more interesting. The Serb could win again and even that would be a huge story. More on that in a minute.

On the women's side, Aryna Sabalenka is likely the favorite. She is not only ranked No. 1 on the WTA tour, but she has also won the last two Aussie Opens. She began her year with a victory at the Brisbane International.

Might we see some young players make their mark on the first Grand Slam of the year? Could an older player who has never won a major, such as Grigor Dimitrov, take home the trophy? There is a lot to watch for, including the three of the four storylines below.

Three key storylines to follow (and one to ignore) at the 2025 Australian Open

Watch: Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray partnership should be a blast

Djokovic knows how to win the Australian Open without the help of Murray, of course. The Serb has a record 10 titles in Melbourne, and this will be the first year he will be working with his former rival. This would imply that the Scot is not truly there to give Djokovic pointers on the finer points of how to play the game but to be more of a motivational help.

We have not gotten to see the two work together yet, as Murray was not at the Brisbane International. That makes the Australian Open even more special. It could also be the final time the Serb plays at the major.

Watch: How Elena Rybakina does with Goran Ivanisevic

The Rybakina situation is a mess. She fired long-time coach Stefano Vukov late last year. Vukov could be heard for years hurling verbal abuse from the player's box when coaching Rybakina. Moving on from him should have helped her mental state. To replace the coach, she hired former Djokovic coach Goran Ivanisevic.

To begin the year, however, Rybakina announced she had rehired Vukov. This appeared to confuse everyone, even Ivanisevic. Only, Vukov is dealing with a provisional ban and cannot coach Rybakina in Melbourne anyway. What happens if she wins the Australian Open with Ivanisevic instead of Vukov?

Avoid: Iga Swiatek attempt to make a run at the title after news of failed drug test

2024 was both a transitional year for tennis (young players Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz won all four of the majors on the men's side) and a difficult one. Both Sinner and Swiatek failed drug tests, which gave the sport a bit of a black eye. Swiatek served a month-long suspension and ended up losing her top ranking on the WTA tour.

Even if Swiatek had not failed a drug test, though, she should not be considered one of the favorites in Melbourne. She has only made it past the fourth round once when she made the semifinals in 2022. Her best tennis is not on hard courts. The shock would be if the Pole wins the Grand Slam, not because of a failed drug test issue last year, but because she has not done well at the event previously.

Watch: Is Jannik Sinner a long-term great?

Sinner could still face a suspension depending on how the Court of Arbitration for Sport rules on the World Anti-Doping Agency's appeal of the International Tennis Integrity Agency's finding Sinner innocent of any intentional wrongdoing from his two failed drug tests last March. Got all that?

The Italian did win his first two Grand Slams in 2024, and finished the year as ATP No. 1. If he begins 2025 by winning the Australian Open again, look out. Sinner could go on a sustained run of success and finish with more than 10 major titles by the time his career is done.

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