Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic featured in 10 things to watch at the Australian Open | ATP Tour

ATP Tour

Alcaraz, Sinner, Djokovic featured in 10 things to watch at the Australian Open

The ultimate summary of what every fan should know about the hard court boss

January 17, 2026

There is no shortage of strong narratives at this year’s Australian Open, with Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic all coming with strong history in their sights.

Alcaraz, the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, is bidding for a maiden crown on a tough court – a victory to complete a Career Grand Slam. Two-time defending champion Sinner and 10-time winner Djokovic are among a deep field of contenders eager to stop the Spaniard.

ATPtour.com highlights 10 storylines to follow at the 2026 Australian Open.

1) Alcaraz chases Career Grand Slam: Alcaraz has not advanced beyond the quarter-finals in his last four appearances at the Australian Open, but has made no secret of his desire to lift the title in Melbourne. Should he win, the World No. 1 will become the sixth man in the Open Era to win at least one major title in all four Grand Slam tournaments.

2) Can Soni complete the hat-trick? The two-time defending champion is trying to join Djokovic as the only man in the Open Era to win three consecutive Australian Open titles. Sinner owns a 22-4 record at the event, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, with his most recent loss coming against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fourth round in 2023.

3) Djokovic returns to the stomping ground:
After being forced to retire injured in the semi-finals against Alexander Zverev last year, Djokovic has returned to his best form with renewed motivation. The 38-year-old claimed her 101st tour-level title in Athens in November and is chasing a 25th Grand Slam trophy, which would see her move clear of Margaret Court on the all-time list.

4) Zverev is headed for a maiden Slam:
A three-time finalist, Zverev continues to shine in the latter stages of major tournaments, but tough success remains. The German, who finished second in Sinner last year, begins his campaign against the powerful Canadian Gabriel Diallo.

5) A renewed Medvedev:
After a strong approach to the 2025 season and a title run in Brisbane to open 2026, Daniil Medvedev looks rejuvenated after managing just one major-game victory last year. Former World No. 1 and three-time Melbourne finalist, Medvedev could meet long-time rival Zverev in the quarter-finals. He leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 14-8.

6) Aussie hopes on home soil:
At career-high No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Alex de Minaur leads the charge for the place. The 26-year-old, competing in two Nitto ATP finals, was joined in the main draw by fellow Australians Alexei Popyrin, Adam Walton – who opens against Alcaraz – and James Duckworth, while Jason Kubler progressed through qualifying.

7) #NextGen top talents:
Recent Next Gen ATP Finals champions Learner Tien and Joao Fonseca return as the 25th and 28th seeds, respectively. Tien stunned Medvedev on his way to the fourth round last year, while Fonseca had a remarkable win over Andrey Rublev. They were joined by Jeddah 2025 rivals Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, Rafael Jodar, Nishesh Basavareddy and Dino Prizmic, as well as 19-year-old Rei Sakamoto.

You May Love Again: Tien turns promise into evidence in Jeddah: ‘I’ve got it out’

8) Wawrinka’s wild card titles:
Stan Wawrinka, who plans to retire at the end of the 2026 season, captured the first of his three major titles in Melbourne in 2014 and returns this year as a wild card. Australia’s Jordan Thompson also enters as a wild card, having not played a tour-level match since October in Shanghai.

9) First round popcorn clash:
De Minaur faces an immediate challenge against former Wimbledon champion Matteo Berrettini. World No. 8 Ben Shelton, last year’s semi-finalist, opens against Adelaide finalist Ugo Humbert, while Grigor Dimitrov takes on Tomas Machac to add to the three must-watch opening round contests.

10) Kokkinakis/Kyrgios doubles: Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool arrive as the top seeds after finishing 2025 in pursuit of the year-end ATP Doubles No. 1 presented in honor of PIF. The doubles field also includes 2022 Australian Open champions Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios, adding another animosity to the tournament.