The first Grand Slam event of the New Year produced plenty of talking points but, ultimately, the result of the men’s singles was a predictable one. World number one Novak Djokovic encountered few alarms as he claimed an incredible ninth Australian Open title and his third in succession since 2019.

There’s undoubtedly more to come from the Serb in 2021 but, with a full calendar of major tournaments now back in place, can he pull off the greatest feat of all and claim all four Grand Slams?

The Big Four

Novak Djokovic has now won 18 Grand Slam titles and, in his time on the court, he’s claimed each of the big four tournaments. The Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open have all appeared in his trophy cabinet at some point in his career.

That set of 18 Grand Slam titles puts Djokovic third on the all time list and one of his remaining targets would be to climb to the top of that particular table. The only potential issue is that the two men standing in his way are still active on the circuit. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have both won 20 Grand Slams to date and, certainly in the case of Nadal, few would bet against a further increase in that tally.

Likely Targets

It’s clearly a tall order but Novak Djokovic is the only man with a chance of completing the Grand Slam in 2021. The Australian Open has proved to be his most successful tournament but he’s also a multiple winner of Wimbledon and the US Open.

Wimbledon is first on that list and, as a five-time winner and the current defending champion, Djokovic is the favourite to succeed in 2021. If we take a look at those sportsbooks affiliated to sbo.net, we find the Serbian at best odds of 6/4, ahead of Rafael Nadal at 7/1.

In September, Djokovic will be targeting the US Open men’s singles which he has won on three previous occasions. Once again, the Serb is a clear favourite at 5/4, ahead of Daniil Medvedev at 5/1.

Those are good signs for anyone looking to get behind Djokovic and those odds will be updated on the website as each tournament draws closer. Opinion pieces and current news reports will also be included while sbo.net will look to help bettors out by listing a selection of bookmakers’ offers and promotions.

The Toughest Test

Few would back against Novak Djokovic in the US Open and at Wimbledon but the French Open is an altogether different story. The facilities at Roland Garros provide the ideal surface for Rafael Nadal and the Spaniard has been utterly dominant in this tournament over the past 15 years.

Djokovic has won the French Open – back in 2016 – but that was a rare victory among Nadal’s 13 wins since first picking up the title in 2005. That’s an incredible run and it means that the Spaniard has won no fewer than 13 of the last 16 trophies here. It’s no great surprise that Roger Federer chose to sit out the 2020 edition of this tournament but Djokovic battles on in the hope of ending Nadal’s run.

Can he do it?

Until recently, men’s tennis usually focused on just four individual players. Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray tended to dominate the four Grand Slams on the circuit. While there were isolated successes for other players such as Stan Wawrinka’s three titles between 2014 and 2016, the ‘big four’ were the ones to watch.

With Murray’s injury problems continuing to affect his performances on court, we can probably rule out the Scot for now. Similarly, with Roger Federer turning 40 this year, age may finally catch up on the Swiss superstar.

There are challengers within the up and coming crop of younger players. Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are among those who will be hoping to break through and start to win Grand Slams on a more consistent basis.

In 2021, however, Novak Djokovic remains the man to beat and, if he can somehow overcome Rafael Nadal in France, an outstanding Grand Slam achievement may well be in his grasp.

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