Melbourne's Opening Week Showdowns will bring three high-profile singles duels on the eve of the Australian Open. On January 16, two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner will step onto the Rod Laver Arena against fellow top-5 player.
World no. 2 will face Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final preparation ahead of the real action at Melbourne Park. Jannik and Felix met four times in the closing stages of the 2025 season, with the Italian winning all the matches.
If they shift their indoor form to sunny Melbourne, we could see them in the semi-final or even later at the opening Major event of the season. Sinner should be the player to beat at the Australian Open.
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He conquered titles in 2024 and 2025 in style. In addition, the San Candido native played at his best in the closing months of the season behind us, winning four titles from five tournaments and adding trophies in Paris and Turin.
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Interestingly, he defeated Auger-Aliassime at both indoor events. Jannik has been working on his serve following the US Open final loss to Carlos Alcaraz. He dominated the indoor swing and dropped serve seven times in 15 matches en route to three crowns.
The Italian hit the practice court earlier this week in Dubai, shaping up his game and hoping to enter the Australian Open at his best. If he claims another title in Melbourne, Jannik will become only the second player in the Open era with three straight trophies, joining Novak Djokovic on the exclusive list.
Across the net, Felix begins the year with fresh confidence. The Canadian was barely ranked inside the top-30 ahead of the US Open. He fell to Sinner in the semi-final and carried that boost to the closing events of the season.
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Auger-Aliassimeembraced a 21-6 run after Cincinnati, earning his place at the ATP Finals for the second time and beating two rivals to reach the semi-final. He faced world no. 1 Alcaraz and fell in straight sets.
Still, Felix ended the season on a high note and gained a boost ahead of 2026. The Canadian's duel against the Italian at Rod Laver Arena offers the perfect opportunity to sharpen his weapons and test himself against the most formidable rival.
For Jannik, it's another step toward a campaign that could further elevate his already skyrocketingstature.
