The top-ranked Sinner, who is the defending champion at Melbourne Park, and No. 3 Alcaraz are coming off a 2024 season in which they each won two Grand Slam titles.

Italy's Jannik Sinner returns the ball to Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor during the Davis Cup final tennis match between Netherlands and Italy at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. Credit: AP/Manu Fernandez

Jannik Sinner will launch his Australian Open title defence under a stubborn doping cloud but the whiff of scandal may do little to halt the Italian juggernaut.

Defending champion Jannik Sinner and 10-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic have landed in opposite sides of the draw for the season’s first major, ruling out a replay of last year’s semifinal encounter.

The two defending champions, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, enter the 2025 Australian Open as favorites to win in Melbourne again.

The Australian Open returns with Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka looking to defend their titles and a number of other storylines to watch out for in the opening grand slam of the tennis season. Novak Djokovic’s partnership with Andy Murray has dominated the headlines and will be a subject of focus in Melbourne as the Serbian bids for a record-extending 11th title.