ATP - ATP Australian Open
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Nicolai Budkov Kjaer faces hard-serving Reilly Opelka in round one of the Australian Open. The winner will be up against either 14th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or unseeded Filip Misolic in round two. Time for our match prediction.
Kjaer is playing in only his second Grand Slam tournament. The other was on the grass of Wimbledon last year when losing in the second qualifying round He is making his debut in this outdoor hard court Grand Slam and won his three qualifiers in just over six hours with two sets dropped.
The 19-year-old began 2026 with a loss to eventual champion Alexander Blockx in round one of the Canberra Challenger tournament. He's currently 135th in the live rankings, three below his career-high.
He's 72 places below Reilly Opelka in the live list. The American hasn't suffered a first round defeat in this Grand Slam since 2020. His best performance was a third round in 2022 but was beaten in round two last year.
Opelka has played seven tie-breaks in his last five Australian Open matches so a side bet on sets going the distance could make a profit. Both of the tournaments he's played this year saw him beaten in the second round.
We tip Opelka to win this match.
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Who will win the Nicolai Budkov Kjaer vs Reilly Opelka Tennis game?
Our prediction for the Nicolai Budkov Kjaer vs Reilly Opelka match is: Reilly Opelka wins.
The best winner predictions and betting odds for the Nicolai Budkov Kjaer vs Reilly Opelka game on 19/01/2026 of the current ATP Australian Open season:
- Nicolai Budkov Kjaer has a 43.7% chance to win against Reilly Opelka according to Tonybet ⭐ with the odds of 2.65.
- Reilly Opelka has a 56.3% probability of winning facing Nicolai Budkov Kjaer ⭐ with odds of 1.52 at BC Game.
Nicolai Budkov Kjaer vs Reilly Opelka Best Prediction and Odds
Based on the bookmaker's betting lines in this match, Nicolai Budkov Kjaer has a 43.7 % chance to win.
| Prediction | Chance to win |
|---|---|
| Nicolai Budkov Kjaer | 43.7 % |
| Reilly Opelka | 56.3 % |
Nicolai Budkov Kjaer vs Reilly Opelka Form
Nicolai Budkov Kjaer and Reilly Opelka Last Matches
4/6 (67%)
2/6 (33%)
15 Jan 2026 - ATP Australian Open
14 Jan 2026 - ATP Australian Open
13 Jan 2026 - ATP Australian Open
20 Dec 2025 - Next Gen ATP Finals
19 Dec 2025 - Next Gen ATP Finals
18 Dec 2025 - Next Gen ATP Finals
2/6 (33%)
4/6 (67%)
14 Jan 2026 - Adelaide International
12 Jan 2026 - Adelaide International
7 Jan 2026 - Brisbane International
5 Jan 2026 - Brisbane International
3 Nov 2025 - ATP Athens Hellenic Championship
28 Oct 2025 - Rolex Paris Masters
Nicolai Budkov Kjaer - Reilly Opelka Key Points
- Opelka is 72 places ahead of Kjaer in the live rankings.
- Opelka reached round three of this Grand Slam in 2022.
- Kjaer is playing in the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time so won't be used to best-of-five sets matches.
- Opelka has won four ATP Tour titles, three on this surface.
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Our Nicolai Budkov Kjaer vs Reilly Opelka Prediction
Reilly Opelka has made a steady start to the new year and lost to Tommy Paul in last week's Adelaide International. His best in this Grand Slam is the third round he reached in 2022. Last year saw him get to one ATP Tour final on this surface,
Nicolai Budkov Kjaer is making his Grand Slam main draw debut. The Norwegian won three Challenger Tour titles last year, two on hard courts. He lacks experience and qualifying took him just over six hours to do so, Our Nicolai Budkov Kjaer v Reilly Opelka prediction is Reilly Opelka wins.