Australian Open 2025: Five Men to Watch as the First Grand Slam of the Year Begins

Novak Djokovic, aged 37, is aiming for his 11th Australian Open title and a historic 25th Grand Slam victory, yet he faces significant challenges from Jannik Sinner, 23, and Carlos Alcaraz, 21.

AFP Sport identifies five potential contenders for the first Grand Slam event of the year, commencing on Sunday:

Novak Djokovic
Despite being 37, the Serbian player remains a formidable presence on the blue hardcourts of Melbourne Park, where he has achieved remarkable success.

Currently ranked seventh in the world, Djokovic secured Olympic gold in 2024 but was unable to capture a major title for the first time since 2017, leaving his pursuit of surpassing Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam titles unfulfilled.

After being defeated by the eventual champion Sinner in the semi-finals last year, he has sought the guidance of his long-time rival Andy Murray as a coach to assist him in reaching this milestone.

Achieving this goal would mark his 100th career title, making him only the third player in the Open era to reach this landmark, following Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103).

Jannik Sinner
The Italian player claimed his first Grand Slam title in Australia last year, triumphing over Daniil Medvedev in the final, and subsequently solidified his position as the undisputed world number one.

In 2024, he secured eight titles, including his second major at the US Open, while also reaching the semi-finals at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

Sinner capped off an impressive year by leading Italy to a successful defense of the Davis Cup, becoming the first player since Federer in 2005 to complete a season without a defeat in straight sets.

However, the 23-year-old's season was marred by doping allegations, which he has denied. He is currently awaiting the outcome of a World Anti-Doping Agency appeal regarding his initial exoneration after testing positive for traces of the steroid clostebol in March.

Carlos Alcaraz
At just 21 years of age, the Spanish tennis player has already secured four Grand Slam titles, including victories at the French Open and Wimbledon in the previous year, following his remarkable debut at the US Open in 2022.

However, he has yet to advance past the quarter-finals in Melbourne during his three previous appearances, having been eliminated in the last eight in 2024 by Alexander Zverev.

Alcaraz has already made history as the youngest male player to win Grand Slam titles on all three surfaces: clay, hard, and grass. Should he achieve victory in Australia, he will surpass his fellow countryman Rafael Nadal as the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam.

Having never lost a Grand Slam final, Alcaraz concluded a challenging 2024 season, marred by injury, as the world number three, having claimed four titles to elevate his career total to 16.

Alexander Zverev
The German player has been striving for a Grand Slam title for nearly ten years, finishing as the runner-up at the French Open in 2024 and the US Open in 2020, yet he has been unable to secure that elusive victory.

Following an ankle injury sustained during the semi-finals of Roland Garros in 2022, his return to form has been gradual. During this period, Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz have emerged as the dominant forces in Grand Slam tennis.

As he enters the new season, the 27-year-old is filled with renewed determination after finishing 2024 as the world number two, having won more matches than all but Sinner.

Zverev, a two-time semi-finalist in Australia, including last year’s loss to Daniil Medvedev, is acutely aware of the necessity to secure Grand Slam titles.

Daniil Medvedev
The determined Russian did not secure a title last year; however, he has historically performed well at the year's first Grand Slam, having reached three finals in the past four tournaments.

In 2021, he was outmatched by Djokovic, followed by a heartbreaking loss to Rafael Nadal the subsequent year. In 2024, he faced a dramatic collapse against Sinner, losing in five sets after initially leading.

With Sinner and Alcaraz emerging as dominant forces, the 28-year-old acknowledged during the off-season the necessity to "reinvent" his game, focusing on minimizing errors and adopting a more aggressive approach.

Currently ranked fifth in the world, the 2021 US Open champion is set to commence his pursuit of a second major title following a relatively quiet lead-up.

SportsLigue