"We're used to a small core of players dominating on the men's side, and Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are certainly doing that. Sinner is 32-0 against anyone not named Alcaraz over his past five Slams, while Alcaraz has six Slam titles and won't turn 23 until May; Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer had won a combined three Slams at his age."
"Meanwhile, there's a clear top player on the women's side as well: Aryna Sabalenka has lost just two matches in her past six hard-court Slams and has reached the finals in seven of her past 10 hard-court events. What Iga Swiatek has been for a few years on clay, Sabalenka is on hard courts. (Oh yeah, and she beat Swiatek on clay last year, too.)"
"The two-time defending Australian Open champion, Sinner can neutralize any point with blistering, deep groundstrokes. He can retrieve any ball in the corner and reestablish his original position in the middle of the court before you've lined up your next shot. He wins more of his first serves than any servebot on the tour. He is basically the answer to, "What if Andy Murray had a dominant offensive game to match his defense?" He has solved almost everything"
The 2026 Australian Open opens with a pronounced hierarchy across both tours. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz anchor the men's field, with Sinner 32-0 against opponents other than Alcaraz across his last five majors and Alcaraz already owning six Grand Slam titles before age 23. Aryna Sabalenka dominates the women's hard courts, losing only two matches in her past six hard-court Slams and reaching seven finals in her last ten hard-court events. Sabalenka's hard-court form parallels Iga Swiatek's clay dominance. Each Slam still offers unique storylines and potential upsets despite clear favorites. Sinner enters as two-time defending champion with elite serve efficiency and exceptional court coverage.
Read at ESPN.com
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