Australian Open: 5 big stories to follow from Jannik Sinner to Novak Djokovic and Joao Fonseca
The opening Grand Slam of 2025 is about to get underway and for plenty of big names in the men’s draw, history is about to be made.
Jannik Sinner is back in Melbourne to defend his Australian Open title, with Carlos Alcaraz eager to beat his great rival to the prize and complete his collection of Grand Slam titles at the age of 21.
The sight of Novak Djokovic back on court alongside his former rival and new coach Andy Murray adds a layer of intrigue to the Serbian’s attempt to win an 11th Australian Open title.
There will also be some great stories away from the biggest names in the sport, with young guns and Grand Slam debutants also looking to create some big headlines.
Here are six big stories to follow as the tennis year cranks into gear in thrilling fashion in front of packed crowds in Melbourne.
THE SINNER QUESTION
Defending champion Jannik Sinner is bidding to win his 3rd Grand Slam title and become the first Italian player in history, man or woman, to do so, ahead of Nicola Pietrangeli, who won the title at Roland Garros in 1959 and 1960.
He will be competing with a cloud of chaos hanging over him after it was confirmed on Friday that the World Anti-Doping Agency’s appeal against the decision not to suspend him is set to be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in mid-April. Can Sinner keep his focus? We are about to find out.
DJOKOVIC’S LAST STAND
Novak Djokovic is bidding to win the title 17 years after securing his first major here in 2008. If he does he will equal Rafael Nadal’s record for the longest gap between first and most recent men’s singles Grand Slam titles (2005 & 2022 Roland Garros)
His move to add Murray to his coaching set-up has been one of the big talking points in tennis over the last few weeks and while this partnership may be brief, a victory for Djokovic would be a remarkable footnote to their great rivalry.
ALCARAZ CHASES HISTORY
Aged 21 years 266 days on the day of the final, Carlos Alcaraz will become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam if he wins the title here, overtaking Don Budge for the all-time record and Rafael Nadal for the Open Era record.
The Spaniard has not always performed at his brilliant best at the Australian Open, but we are still at the start of his career and this could be his year to strike.
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YOUNG GUNS RISING
Youngsters Joao Fonseca, Learner Tien and Martin Landaluce have all come through qualifying to make their Australian Open main draw debuts, marking the first time three teenage men have qualified for a Grand Slam since 2017 Wimbledon (Taylor Fritz, Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas).
Fonseca is already dealing with huge expectations and if he can enjoy a deep run in a Grand Slam at some point in 2025, a new superstar of tennis may be born.
HISTORY IS MADE
By qualifying for the Australian Open main draw, Hady Habib becomes the first Lebanese player (man or woman) to compete in a Grand Slam singles event since 1962, when Karim Fawaz competed at the US Championships.
Meanwhile, Kasidit Samrej becomes the first Thai player to contest the men’s singles at a Grand Slam since 2012, when Danai Udomchoke competed at the Australian Open. Samrej has been given a wild card into the main draw in Melbourne.
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