Carlos Alcaraz arrives at the Australian Open with history firmly in his sights, but completing a career Grand Slam at Melbourne Park will require overcoming his greatest rival, Jannik Sinner, reports AFP.
The 22-year-old Spaniard already owns six major titles, yet the Australian Open remains the lone Slam missing from his résumé. In four appearances in Melbourne, Alcaraz has never progressed beyond the quarter-finals, losing to Novak Djokovic in 2025 and Alexander Zverev the year before.
“It’s my first goal, to be honest,” Alcaraz said after winning last year’s US Open, his second major of 2025 following a successful title defence at Roland Garros.
“When I go into the pre-season thinking about what I want to improve and what I want to achieve, the Australian Open is right there.”
Should he finally break through when the tournament begins on Sunday, Alcaraz would become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam, eclipsing compatriot Rafael Nadal, who achieved the feat at 24.
Standing directly in his way is Italy’s Sinner, the two-time defending champion who is chasing history of his own. A third straight title in Melbourne would place the 24-year-old alongside Djokovic as the only men in the Open era to win three consecutive Australian Open crowns — something the Serbian legend has achieved twice.
“I feel like a better player than last year,” said Sinner, who wrapped up the 2025 season with 58 wins and just six defeats. “Even in the losses, I tried to take the positives and use them to evolve as a player.”
Sinner rallied from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev in the 2024 final before beating Zverev in straight sets a year later. While he holds the Melbourne crown, Alcaraz leads their head-to-head 10-6 and edged Sinner out for the season-ending world number one ranking.
The pair met in a light-hearted exhibition in South Korea last weekend — their only warm-up for Melbourne — with Alcaraz emerging victorious. Such has been the dominance of the duo, dubbed “Sincaraz,” that they have shared the last eight Grand Slam titles, four apiece, since Djokovic claimed his 24th major at the 2023 US Open.
Djokovic returns to his most successful hunting ground still chasing a record 25th major, though questions linger over the 38-year-old’s fitness after he withdrew from this week’s Adelaide International. He reached the semi-finals at all four majors last year but went no further, admitting: “I can do only as much as I can do.”
Zverev, along with Lorenzo Musetti, Alex de Minaur and Felix Auger-Aliassime, will be looking to break through for a first Slam. Medvedev looms as a dangerous outsider after winning the Brisbane International, while American teenager Learner Tien leads the next generation following his ATP Next Gen Finals triumph.
Jakub Mensik and Joao Fonseca are also poised to make their mark, and Alexander Bublik will fancy a deep run after capturing the Hong Kong Open and breaking back into the top 10.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
