Sal Orlando, Assistant News Editor
With the past eight tennis majors won by either Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner, it is expected to be another “Sincaraz” meeting in the finals at the Australian Open.
The Italian world No. 2, Sinner, won the two previous Australian Opens and is looking for his third, while the Spanish world No. 1, Alcaraz, is attempting to complete his career grand slam, winning all four majors within his career. I expect Alcaraz to finally make it to the finals in Australia and defeat Sinner.
Sinner has dominated in the Australian Open, beating Alexander Zverev in three sets last year, and coming back down two sets the year prior against Daniil Medvedev. The Italian won the last four hard court majors, and is often the favorite on the surface.
However, losing to Alcaraz in the French Open last year after having three championship points, and losing on a surface he previously dominated on in the U.S. Open last year, Sinner historically displayed he can not always bring it home when he is in a comfortable position.
Alcaraz has been on an upward trajectory, beating his rival in the U.S. Open in September and obtaining ATP rank No. 1. He also beat Sinner in 10 of their 16 matchups, seven of which were on hardcourt.
Though he lost to 10-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals last year, Djokovic’s age has been catching up to him. Meanwhile, Alcaraz proved he too can thrive on hard courts against players who dominate the surface like Sinner and Djokovic.
Djokovic is fading
“I lost three out of four slams in semis against these guys,” Djokovic told reporters last year following his three set U.S. Open loss to Alcaraz. “They’re just too good, playing on a really high level.”
The Australian Open is known to be Djokovic’s most dominant tournament, with him being the all time leader in Australian Open championships. However at 38 years old, Djokovic isn’t able to perform at the highest level anymore.
Djokovic has not been in a major final since Wimbledon in 2024, where he lost in three sets to Alcaraz and had not won a major since 2023.
However, if there is any tournament Djokovic can win, the Australian Open is his best bet. Djokovic made it to the semifinals against Zverev in last year’s tournament, but retired after one set due to suffering a muscle tear in his left hamstring during his match prior.
If Djokovic is able to stay healthy and perform at a top level in his most comfortable tournament, he may be able to upset a possible final major title.
Players to look out for
All eyes are on Sinner and Alcaraz coming into the tournament, but there are still some players who can prove something in Australia.
After beating Alcaraz in the Laver Cup, American world No. 9, Taylor Fritz showed he is able to compete with top end talent.
In the final two majors of the year, Fritz was able to make it to the semifinals in Wimbledon and quarterfinals in the U.S. Open, and I expect to see him make it deep again.
Andrey Rublev, the Russian world No. 15, was bounced early in the first round of last year’s Australian Open, but has appeared in three of the last five quarterfinals.
Rublev’s biggest enemy in the past has been himself, with him often having outbursts on the court due to frustration. With Rublev being open about his mental health struggles, but claiming to be in a better place now, I believe he can show he can still compete at the highest level.