The three male players who could be a dark horse to win the Australian Open title

The Australian Open is just around the corner, and with it comes renewed hopes for a plethora of players.

After all, as the first Grand Slam event of the season, the momentum gained from a successful tournament can make or break a player’s year before it has even really begun.

Naturally, on the men’s side, many will look at Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner as the natural favourites to claim the title.

However, it could be argued that there are three other competitors who are being slept on.

Felix Auger-Aliassime could carry his good form into 2026

One such example is Felix Auger-Aliassime, who enjoyed a fine end to the 2025 season that might propel him into Melbourne full of confidence.

With a brave, explosive game style that can hurt anyone on tour, he has already proven his ability to compete with the elite duo at the top of the men’s game.

Auger-Aliassime rose higher than any player inside the top ten in terms of rankings over the last 12 months, and that momentum could be crucial to help him hit the ground running at the Australian Open.

And, making it to a semi-final in the most recent US Open only reinforces his ability to perform on the biggest stage and on hard courts. 

Flavio Cobolli’s Davis Cup heroics could power him into a deep Australian Open run

Another individual who enjoyed a strong end to the recent season, and actually had a fine run at Wimbledon as well, is Flavio Cobolli.

Fresh from his heroics at the Davis Cup, which propelled an Italian side lacking Lorenzo Musetti and Jannik Sinner to a third successive title, the 23-year-old should be brimming with confidence.

Not to mention that, despite his youth, he has already appeared in plenty of Grand Slams as well, reaching the quarter-finals at the All-England Club.

Although lacking the experience of Auger-Aliassime, his game could trouble almost anyone on tour, and he should definitely be considered a dark horse to go deep in Melbourne.

Never rule out Novak Djokovic winning his 25th Grand Slam title

Whilst it might seem ridiculous to say, it’s undeniable that Novak Djokovic is a dark horse.

Despite being the most successful male player in Grand Slam history, he is bidding to win a record-breaking 25th major title at the event where he has won more titles than anyone else.

However, with the dominance exhibited by Alcaraz and Sinner, anyone from 3rd onwards becomes a dark horse.

Fortunately, Djokovic has experience massively on his side, and has recently hired a new coach who could revolutionise his fitness levels too.

At 39 years old, time is not on his side, but time and time again throughout his career, he has proven people wrong.

To rule him out from doing the unthinkable once again in Melbourne would be foolish.