Carlos Alcaraz is aiming to complete a career Grand Slam at the Australian Open, but the task will be far from straightforward with fierce rival Jannik Sinner standing in his way.

The 22-year-old Spaniard already boasts six major titles, yet victory at Melbourne Park remains the one glaring omission on his resume. Alcaraz has never progressed beyond the quarter-finals in four trips Down Under, falling to Novak Djokovic in 2025 and Alexander Zverev the previous year.

“It’s my first goal, to be honest,” Alcaraz said after defending his US Open title last year, marking his second Grand Slam win of 2025 following a successful Roland Garros defence. “When I plan my pre-season, I think about what I want to improve and achieve—the Australian Open is always there.”

Should Alcaraz finally claim the elusive title starting Sunday, he would become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam, surpassing fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who secured all four majors by age 24.

Standing in his path is Italy’s Sinner, the two-time defending champion who is chasing his own piece of history. A third consecutive win in Melbourne would make the 24-year-old only the second man in the Open era, after Djokovic, to achieve the feat. Djokovic accomplished the three-peat twice during his 10 titles at Melbourne Park.

“I feel like a better player than last year,” Sinner said after finishing his 2025 campaign with 58 wins and just six losses. “Even in the defeats, I tried to find positives and use them to improve as a player.”

Sinner’s resilience has been on full display, coming back from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev in the 2024 final before beating Zverev in straight sets the following year.

The Djokovic Factor
While Sinner defends his crown, Alcaraz holds the upper hand in their rivalry, leading 10-6 in head-to-head encounters and having recently knocked Sinner off the year-end world number one spot. The pair also faced off in a light-hearted exhibition in South Korea last weekend, with Alcaraz emerging victorious.

Dubbed “Sincaraz” by fans, the duo has dominated the last eight Grand Slam titles, winning four each since Djokovic claimed his 24th major at the 2023 US Open. Djokovic, meanwhile, returns to his most successful hunting ground as he chases a record 25th major. The 38-year-old skipped this week’s Adelaide International, leaving questions over his form ahead of the Australian Open. Last year, Djokovic reached the semi-finals of all four majors but failed to progress further, candidly admitting: “I can do only as much as I can do.”

Other contenders
World number three Alexander Zverev, along with Lorenzo Musetti, Alex de Minaur, and Félix Auger-Aliassime—ranked five, six, and seven respectively—will look to disrupt the favourites and win a first major. Three-time losing finalist Daniil Medvedev is a dark horse after claiming the Brisbane International title, while American Learner Tien leads the Next Gen stars fresh off his ATP Next Gen Finals triumph.

Rising talents Jakub Mensik and João Fonseca are also eager to make an impact, and Alexander Bublik could mount a deep run following his Hong Kong Open victory and breakthrough into the top 10.

As the Australian Open begins, all eyes will be on Alcaraz and Sinner, with Djokovic’s legacy looming and a new generation of challengers eager to stake their claim in Melbourne.