Many tennis fans likely assume that the final of the Australian Open will feature the same two players who faced off in most of the other Grand Slams over the past two years. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner aren't just something fans have become accustomed to, but something people expect to see for years to come.
So far in Melbourne, the ATP No. 1, Alcaraz, has had a bit easier time. He hasn't dropped a set as he enters his quarterfinal match against Aussie Alex de Minaur. De Minaur will have the home crowd behind him and has loads of speed, but Alcaraz is the far more skilled player with a greater ability to hit with elite pace.
While Sinner has dropped only one set, he is facing some controversy that stemmed from his fourth-round match. He defeated American Eliot Spizzirri, but might have done so with the help of a play-stoppage due to excessive heat.
Carlos Alcaraz might have one key advantage against Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open
Sinner had dropped the first set and was down a break in the third set as he began cramping badly. Some pundits have speculated that had the match involved another player besides Sinner, maybe the match wouldn't have been stopped. The Italian would have been forced to fight through cramps, and he might not have been able to.
It is with the heat that Carlos Alcaraz feels as if he has a clear advantage against Jannik Sinner. Should the two play in the final and the heat be a problem in Melbourne, Alcaraz thinks that is just another reason he would earn his first Australian Open title. The Spaniard respects the Italian, of course, and Alcaraz will take any advantage he might get.
Speaking with AS, Alcaraz said, "I like to watch Jannik’s matches, I like to see how he’s doing, what’s happening, also thinking about a possible match-up, and obviously I saw the situation with the heat...But someone like Jannik has his team, he has everything meticulously planned, and I’m sure they do things right to arrive in top form. (But) he’s from a very cold, mountainous region, and I’m from Murcia, where it’s very hot, so the warmer conditions benefit me, I won’t deny it."
That might be true, but Jannik Sinner might have a slight advantage against Carlos Alcaraz, too. The Italian understands how hot the Australian Open can be. He also knows he can win the major. He has done so in each of the past two years. The Spaniard has yet to win one.
Tennis fans might wonder, though, whether Alcaraz versus Sinner, potentially occurring in Melbourne, will be just one of four steps at majors in 2026. The others could come in the finals of the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.