Jannik Sinner confident new off-season weapon will ‘make the difference’ against Carlos Alcaraz and others
Jannik Sinner believes he is a ‘stronger’ player heading into this edition of the Australian Open and reveals the tweaked shot which he believes might ‘make the difference’ in 2026 against Carlos Alcaraz.
The Italian is seeking a third consecutive title, and fifth Grand Slam overall, in Melbourne.
Sinner has not competed at a professional event since his dominant display at the Nitto ATP Finals, becoming the first player to win the event without dropping a single set.
Despite opting out of any warm-up tournaments for the season’s first Grand Slam, he has been far from idle.
The Davide Giusti Academy in Dubai was the site of his off-season preparation, intensely sparring with compatriot Luciano Darderi over the course of two weeks.
Despite collecting trophies at two Grand Slams and the Nitto ATP Finals over the last 12 months, Sinner has revealed that he has been putting intense focus on his transition game, especially volleys.
“We worked a lot on trying to make the transition to the net,” remarked the world No 2 at his pre-tournament press conference.
“The serve we change a couple of things. But all small details. When you are at the top level, there are the small details make the difference.
“It’s not only for one specific player, if you add something to your game, the aim is to get better as a tennis player.
“It’s not about beating one guy, it’s more about feeling comfortable in every situation. That’s what we tried to do in the off-season.”
Sinner will open his title defence against Frenchman and 94th-ranked Hugo Gaston, with a potential third-round encounter with Joao Fonseca looming large.
The world No 2 is in the same half of the draw as Novak Djokovic, with the Spaniard and Alexander Zverev placed on the opposing side.
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Last season, Sinner was part of the second-longest Grand Slam final in history, one that resulted in a heartbreaking five-set defeat to Alcaraz after five hours and 29 minutes at the French Open.
The clash was just 24 minutes shy of the record created at the 2012 Australian Open between Rafael Nadal and Djokovic, with the latter prevailing in a truly historic battle.
“We worked a lot physically – the physical part now is so, so important because the matches, they can get very long but also very intense,” he added.
“The tennis now, it’s very fast, [so] you have to be at the top physical level as long as you can.
“The season is very long, so you have to manage your body in the best possible way.”
Of course, shortly subsequent to his latest Melbourne victory, Sinner made the headlines for accepting a three-month settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency after failing two doping tests in March of that season.
As a result, he was ineligible to play any tournaments in February, March, and April, and eventually made his return at the Rome Masters.
“I think everything happens for a reason – it got me even stronger as a person,” the world No 2 reflected.
“The person I’ve become is much more mature in a way, because I see things when they’re not going in the right direction different ways.
“I surrounded myself with really, really good people – I’m very happy with the people I have, so that for me is the most important.
“Whatever comes on court, result-wise, that’s all an extra. I live the sport also in a very different way now, which is relaxed, but I give everything I have – it’s a balance of everything.”
Thankfully for the Italian, 12 months on, his off-court situation is much calmer, further boosted by Darren Cahill’s decision to continue as coach – a relationship which was previously reported to be ending at the end of the 2025 season.
“It’s good to have him, you feel in a very safe place.”
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