The dream final could happen in Melbourne.
World No.1 Jannik Sinner and four-time grand slam champion Carlos Alcaraz have developed the best active rivalry in men’s tennis – but they’re yet to meet in a major final.
Sinner won his maiden slam title at last year’s Australian Open, whereas Alcaraz has never gone beyond the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park.
Reigning champions Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner bring the trophies along to the official 2025 draw ceremony.Credit: Eddie Jim
They represent the present and future of the game, even with Novak Djokovic still lurking ominously.
Sinner and Alcaraz’s five-set semi-final cliffhanger at Roland-Garros last year was a magnificent spectacle, while they also went the distance in a memorable showdown in the 2022 US Open quarter-finals.
Alcaraz won the title at both events, and leads his head-to-head with Sinner 6-4, including a captivating 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) triumph in the Beijing final in October.
“I think it’s a really good thing for tennis when Jannik and I face each other because we always show a really intense match, really close match, [with] great points, great rallies,” Alcaraz said.
Sinner is coming off one of the greatest seasons ever, and is more than 4000 ranking points ahead of the second-ranked Alex Zverev, who ended Alcaraz’s Australian Open hopes 12 months ago.
The Italian won 73 of his 79 matches last year, claiming two grand slams and eight titles overall, while becoming the only player other than Roger Federer to complete a season without losing in straight sets.
Like last year, Sinner enters the Melbourne major without a lead-in tournament, but enjoyed a straight-sets exhibition win over Australia’s Alexei Popyrin on Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old, who spent his off-season in Dubai, will play another exhibition match against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas on Friday.
“We tried to make it the best possible pre-season, and it was something different. I want sometimes to try something new,” Sinner said.
“I’m happy to be here, and we still have some days to try and get used to these conditions, and we will hopefully be ready.”
Plenty needs to happen for the 10th “Sinnaraz” chapter to be written in the next fortnight.
Sinner faces Chile’s former world No.16 Nicolas Jarry in the first round, is projected to meet fellow Italian Flavio Cobolli in the third round then potentially Holger Rune in the last 16.
Australia’s Alex de Minaur looms as Sinner’s quarter-final opponent, while he may need to beat Daniil Medvedev again in a rematch of last year’s five-set final just to get back there.
The possible path to the final looms as even more punishing for third-seeded Alcaraz.
Alexander Shevchenko, Yoshihito Nishioka and Australia’s No.27 seed Jordan Thompson are Alcaraz’s likely first three hurdles.
Alcaraz may have to overcome powerful Brit Jack Draper to earn an Olympic rematch with 10-time Australian Open champion Djokovic in what would be a quarter-final blockbuster.
Beyond that, semi-final revenge against Zverev could be on the menu.
That is all still to come, but the draw gods have at least given fans a shot at what they want.
Watch the Australian Open live & free on the 9Network & 9Now. Stan Sport is the only place to watch every match ad-free, live & on demand with centre court in 4K.
