T365’s 2025 Week 1 Fantasy Predictions: Djokovic, Raducanu, Sabalenka backed for success
The off-season is seemingly over almost as soon as it started, and the best and brightest ATP and WTA talent are getting ready to start their 2025 campaigns.
The United Cup gets the new season underway on December 27th, before the Brisbane International, Auckland Open, and Hong Kong Open kick off later in the week.
With some of the biggest stars in the sport in action, Tennis365 writers Shahida Jacobs, Kevin Palmer, Ewan West, and Oli Dickson Jefford have made their T365 Fantasy predictions for Week 1 of 2025.
United Cup – Team Event
ODJ: With Taylor Fritz and Coco Gauff leading the line and huge depth elsewhere, it is hard to see who can stop Team USA here.
KP: USA are the team to beat as they have strong options with Taylor Fritz, Coco Gauff and Danielle Collins all available.
SJ: The addition of Coco Gauff to the USA team should see them win a second title in three years.
EW: Team USA look very strong, but I’ll go with 2024 finalists Poland, who will be led by the best WTA player at the event in Iga Swiatek and a strong men’s No 1 in Hubert Hurkacz.
(ATP 250) Brisbane International – Men’s singles
ODJ: Novak Djokovic and reigning champion Grigor Dimitrov might be the headline names, but I think Holger Rune starts a resurgent season by ending a 19-month trophy drought.
KP: Novak Djokovic is in the draw and while Holger Rune is a player to watch, the Serbian could win his 100th title in Brisbane.
SJ: Grigor Dimitrov has two Brisbane International titles and one runners-up trophy in his cabinet as he tends to start the year well Down Under. Here’s to him making it a hat-trick of titles at the event.
EW: Defending champion Grigor Dimitrov and third seed Holger Rune are contenders, but I expect a motivated Novak Djokovic to make a strong start to the season ahead of his Australian Open bid.
(WTA 500) Brisbane International – Women’s singles
ODJ: Aryna Sabalenka was thrashed in the final by Elena Rybakina last year but with the defending champion not in action, this should be the world No 1’s to lose.
KP: Aryna Sabalenka is the class of this field, with Paula Badosa a dark horse to push her if the two friends clash in the latter stages.
SJ: Aryna Sabalenka is THE player to beat on hard courts so I expect her to kick off the 2025 season with a dominant run in Brisbane.
EW: 11 of the WTA’s top 20 are in action, but it is hard to look past last year’s runner-up Aryna Sabalenka – a dominant hard-court force who is the only top five star in the draw.
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(ATP 250) Hong Kong Open – Men’s singles
ODJ: Arthur Fils was not at his best at the Next Gen ATP Finals, but the Frenchman looks well placed to start a big 2025 by winning the fourth title of his career.
KP: Lorenzo Musetti enjoyed some big highs in 2024 and he will fancy his chances of coming through this draw.
SJ: Three of Andrey Rublev’s 16 titles have come in the month of January and he is a good bet to successfully defend his trophy in Hong Kong.
EW: Despite enduring a difficult run at the end of the 2024 season, Andrey Rublev is a prolific winner at ATP 250 level and should have a favourable path to defending his title as the only top 15 player in Hong Kong.
(WTA 250) Auckland Open – Women’s singles
ODJ: After a resurgent 2024, third seed Amanda Anisimova would be a popular winner in Auckland – and I think the American can take home the third title of her career.
KP: All eyes will be on Emma Raducanu as she returns to WTA Tour action, but look out for Naomi Osaka to lift her first title since winning the Australian Open in February 2021.
SJ: Think this could well be the tournament where Emma Raducanu finally gets her second top-level title.
EW: Naomi Osaka, who is set to be seeded seventh, has a good opportunity to end her title drought and make the perfect start to her 2025 campaign in a fairly open field.
Tennis365 Fantasy: How does it work?
This year, Tennis365’s writers are competing against each other to see who can predict the most tournament champions in 2025.
At normal ATP/WTA-level events, players receive five points for their player winning the tournament, three points for their player finishing as the runner-up, and one point for their player reaching the semi-finals.
Grand Slam events will award seven points for a correct champion, five points for a runner-up, three points for a semi-finalist, and one point for a quarter-finalist.
