The Australian Open is just around the corner, marking the first notable event of the season and one of its defining moments.
Per Paolo Bertolucci, the outlook is already sharply defined, with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner as clear favorites.
The former world no. 12 sees little room for uncertainty as the ATP Tour prepares to land in Australia. Success at Melbourne Park carries unique weight. The demanding conditions and intensity of the first big event of the season often separate candidates from pretenders.
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The Australian Open crown makes the season exceptional after only a couple of weeks. It also establishes authority, confidence and rhythm that can shape the following months.
In that context, Sinner and Alcaraz arrive as players who have already proven they can thrive when the stakes are highest. They have created a clear hierarchy since the start of 2024.
The Spaniard and the Italian shared all eight Major trophies in the previous two years. To make things even more their way, we have seen them in the final of the previous three Majors, with no one achieving that before in the Open era.
Outside their battles, they lost one match at Majors in 2025, with Novak Djokovic besting Alcaraz in Melbourne. The Spaniard has yet to play his best tennis Down Under, never reaching the semi-final.
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Carlos will try to change that next month, seeking the last missing Major title in his collection and trying to achieve a Career Grand Slam at 22. The El Palmar native will compete without Juan Carlos Ferrero in his box following their recent split.
On the other hand, Sinner is the favorite to go all the way in Melbourne for the third straight year. He defeated Novak Djokovic and came from two sets to love down against Daniil Medvedev in 2024.
This year, he bested Alexander Zverev in the final to successfully defend the trophy and extend his reign. For Bertolucci, the gap between them andthe others is evident.
Thus, he can not imagine a third player sustaining the level required to stop either Carlos or Jannik. The Australian Open is approaching, and the narrative appears set.
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Bertolucci believes the trophy will pass through either Sinner or Alcaraz. They should once again confirm who truly defines the current era of men's tennis. Their potentially fourth straight Major final would compete that picture more efficientlythan anything.
"The Australian Open is a Major that can determine the course of a season. A victory on the scorching hard courts of Melbourne Park immediately puts you in a good position, gives you momentum, and defines your season.
At the moment, the picture is quite clear. Jannik and Carlos are the overwhelming favorites in every tournament they enter, especially after the last three Major tournaments where they battled for the title.
It's difficult to imagine a third contender being able to stand in their way," Paolo Bertolucci said.
