The Australian Open: Check out who's making thunder down under!

Rafael Nadal in a promo for his Nike campaign

With all this Inauguration business, people have shamefully overlooked the other big event this week: the start of the Australian Open!

Tennis has always held massive appeal for gay men, and it's easy to see why. With its divas and drama queens (and that's just the men!), unfortunate wardrobe choices, and tension-filled battles, it's the Dynasty of popular sports.

Best of all, unlike the more staid and proper Grand Slam tournaments in Paris and Wimbledon, the Oz open is more loose and informal; and because the heat sometimes tops 100 degrees, clothes are more likely to be shed.

After the break you can get a primer on some of the big names to watch for. If you're not a fan yet, maybe you will be after these pics!

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal (or as we Roger Federer fans call him, the "butt-picking wedgie boy") is the top-ranked player in the world (ugh!), but has never done well down under. Like most Spaniards, he's most proficient on clay (hence the powder-filled Nike campaign above), but I guess things get tougher when you have to play on a real court.

Roger Federer

Now ranked number two in the world (that still leaves a bad taste in my mouth), Swiss legend Roger is trying to tie Pete Sampras' record for the most Grand Slam championships, which he can do by winning this tournament. Which he will.

Novak Djokovic

Serbian star Novak is the defending champion and the number three player in the world, but his bratty antics have not endeared him to other players.

Andy Murray

Andy (he's from Scotland, so don't call him "British"!) is the number four player in the world, and this year's "next big thing". He's the favorite to win the tournament, but I can't get over how much he looks like Johnny Whitaker (everytime I see him, I expect to see Sigmund & The Sea Monsters following behind).

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Frenchman Jo-Willie was a surprise finalist last year, and if this tennis thing falls through, he can always get a job impersonating a famous boxer (the resemblance is uncanny).

Andy Roddick

American Andy has had a rough couple of seasons, but after getting in the best shape of his life for this tournament, things may be looking up for him.

Marat Safin

The infamous Russian headcase is making a last-ditch effort to make a comeback, but if it fails, he can always go back to being McSteamy's stand-in.

Filippo Volandri

Italian star Filippo is not playing this year's Australian Open, as he's currently serving a three-month suspension for bad behavior. So just disregard the above pic.

Gilles Simon

Little French cutie Gilles is another of the "next big things", proving that good stuff can come in small packages.

James Blake

Sweet baby James is moving quickly towards late-middle-age in tennis life, so the American will have to work hard if he wants to make his mark in a Grand Slam.

Robby Ginepri

And finally, in sad news, American Robby Ginepri has already lost in the first round of the tournament. But as you can see from the above pics, there's still great pleasure to be had in watching him walk away.

So, tennis fans, who are your favorites to win the tournament, or who would you like to see stick around for more ... prurient reasons?