Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have been in the spotlight since they landed together in Melbourne last Sunday from South Korea, where they had played an exhibition match that Carlitos ended up winning. What happens from this early morning on the courts of Flinders Park will be nothing like a friendly.
For Alcaraz, the only major missing from his trophy cabinet is at stake. If he were to win, he would become the youngest player to be crowned on the four major tennis stages. He would also be the fastest to win seven majors
He has gone so far as to say that he would rather win the Australian Open than any other Grand Slam in the current season. He is not so sure when asked about the possibility of winning the next three and not doing so at Rod Laver Arena.
“Completing the Grand Slam would be incredible, and to do it as the youngest to do it would be even better. But of course, three is three. Three Grand Slams are three Grand Slams. It’s a question I have to think about calmly, I can’t give a quick answer. I’ll answer it later,” he says, laughing.
Completing the Grand Slam would be incredible and doing it as the youngest would be even better
Carlitos will be 22 years and 272 days old at the end of the tournament. Of the eight tennis players who have achieved the Grand Slam, Donald Budge remains the youngest. He was 22 years and 363 days old when he completed it at Roland Garros in 1938. Rafa Nadal was the fastest to achieve it in the Open Era. The Spaniard closed the circle at the US Open 2010, at 24 years and 102 days.
“I’m hungry to try to win here because it’s the main goal of the season,” confesses the ATP Tour leader, who will maintain that position regardless of his result. Sinner cannot score points on the tour of the Antipodes as defending champion.
Samuel Lopez returns to Australian soil alongside Alcaraz two years later. It should be remembered that in 2024 he replaced the convalescent Juan Carlos Ferrero. He was sidelined by arthroscopy on his knee. This time Samuel goes with the newly acquired stripes of first coach.
“Everything is practically the same. It is true that everyone has their own thoughts and their own way of working. I, as I said, have been working with Samu for a whole year, it doesn’t matter if he was first or second. That doesn’t mean that he has stopped working and contributing his opinions,” said the six-time Grand Tour winner.
I’ve been working with Samu for a whole year, it doesn’t matter if it’s first or second
In his first public appearance since the professional break with Ferrero, the tennis player wanted to make it clear that “it’s a chapter that is over. I am very grateful for the seven years together. I have learned a lot with Juanqui and thanks to him I am the player I am now. We have closed the chapter mutually, and we both remain friends and have a good relationship.”
Alcaraz acknowledges that he and his team are working on not being so inconsistent in the middle of a match: “I’m still working on not losing focus, on keeping the same intensity all the time. It’s something that in the last few years I’ve been putting a lot of emphasis on.”
A one-day truce
Carlitos, who had been practicing in Melbourne for five consecutive days, took a break on Friday. After attending to the media, dressed in the baseball line of the multinational Nike that dresses him, he went to lunch at a central Italian restaurant.
Making his debut on Sunday’s opening day ensures him two days of rest during the Open in case he reaches the semifinals. His best performance was in the quarterfinals in 2024 and 2025.
Those two editions ended up in Sinner’s hands. The Italian admits that he has made some small variations in his tennis: “I go a little more to the net and varied the serve, but without thinking about Carlos, just to be a better player”. Jannik will make his debut next Tuesday against France’s Hugo Gaston.
Within reach of three tennis players
Only three players have won a triple crown in the Victorian capital: Roy Emerson, Jack Crawford and Novak Djokovic. To find domination in major finals similar to that of Alcaraz and Sinner – they played for the title at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open – you have have to go back to 1964
At that time, the names dominating tennis were the Aussies Roy Emerson and Fred Stolle. With Djokovic now 36 years old, there seems to be no alternative to the Big Two at the moment. Alcaraz will make his debut on Sunday against Adam Walton in the night session (around 10:30pm local time).
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