Alcaraz and Sinner split the slams in 2025. Can anyone stop them this year?

Can anyone beat Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner?

That’s the question on everyone’s lips heading into 2026 after the top two players in men’s tennis swept the grand slams in 2025 and finished more than 5000 points ahead of their nearest challenger, No.3 Alexander Zverev, in the world rankings.

Carlos Alcaraz (right) and Jannik Sinner.Credit: AP

Alcaraz, ranked No.1, and Sinner are in a league of their own leading into the Australian Open later this month. Sinner is aiming to win a third consecutive singles title in Melbourne, while Alcaraz will be attempting to complete the career slam – winning all four majors – with victory down under.

Iga Swiatek, too, needs only an Australian Open to complete a career slam, but the women’s competition is more even, with four different champions – Madison Keys, Coco Gauff, Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka – in the four slams last year.

As the Australian summer of tennis gets under way, we look back at the year that was, and predict the players and the storylines that will define 2026.

Year in review: the talking points from 2025

There are many promising stars in the men’s game, but in 2025 Alcaraz and Sinner were the only ones to deliver.

If the 2025 season confirmed one thing, it’s that there’s a missing middle layer in men’s tennis. There is the best, and the rest.

The likes of Taylor Fritz, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud, Alex de Minaur, Andrey Rublev and Zverev have been tipped as major winners, but between them have just one grand slam title (Medvedev’s 2021 US Open).

Now Sinner and Alcaraz appear almost untouchable, in the same way the “big three” of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic dominated the slams from the early 2000s to 2023.

Alex de Minaur talking ahead of the 2026 United Cup.Credit: Oscar Colman

As de Minaur has pointed out, the biggest question for himself and the rest of men’s tennis is: how do you bridge the gap to the “big two”?

“I think that’s something that we’re all trying to achieve,” de Minaur said. “There’s no other way than just getting better, right? That’s what it is. You ultimately have to bridge that gap ... I’ve played some very close matches over the years with both of them, and you feel like you’re getting closer and closer, and that’s what it is – you’ve got to work on your game, find new weapons.”

It should be a fascinating year for women’s tennis.

The first grand slam of the season, often played out in sweltering Melbourne conditions before the off-season rust has fully worn off, can lay the foundation for the resurgence of a former champion or the breakthrough of a new one.

Naomi Osaka finished the year strongly with a semi-final appearance at the 2025 US Open.Credit: Getty Images

Naomi Osaka, a hardcourt specialist and two-time winner at Melbourne Park, found her rhythm in 2025 and will head to Australia in her best form in years. American Amanda Anisimova had two grand slam finals appearances last year and should carry that momentum into 2026, while Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina is coming off a victory at the WTA finals in November.

However, Swiatek and Sabalenka will be favourites in Australia.

On the men’s side, 2026 may well come with a strong feeling of déjà vu.

Alcaraz and Sinner will be favoured to split the grand slams again, unless one or both are injured, though there is a question mark over Alcaraz after he parted ways with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero during the off season.

The Spaniard has struggled to produce his best at slams in Ferrero’s absence, and, although the split appears to have been prompted by Alcaraz and could be seen as a necessary step in the 22-year-old’s progression as a player, it wouldn’t be surprising to see his form dip during the early adjustment period.

America’s Ben Shelton could have a breakout season if he can stay fit, while Brazil’s Joao Fonseca is the most exciting prospect on the horizon. The 19-year-old looks to have the weapons to challenge the top two, but 2026 might just be too soon.

Australians to watch

De Minaur remains Australia’s highest-ranked player at world No.7, but is currently in the pack who struggle against Sinner and Alcaraz.

Sinner leads their head-to-head 13-0, while Alcaraz has a 5-0 record against the 26-year-old.

Having made the quarter-finals at all four grand slams, the next step for de Minaur is to reach the last four of a major tournament.

In the women’s draw, Maya Joint and Daria Kasatkina are the two Australians to watch.

Australia’s highest ranked male and female tennis players Alex de Minaur and Maya Joint.Credit: Steven Siewert

Joint was an Australian Open wildcard in 2025, but has surged up the rankings after winning titles in Morocco and Eastbourne. She’ll start 2026 ranked No.32, which means she should be seeded at Melbourne Park.

Meanwhile, Kasatkina will be playing her first Australian Open as an Australian after switching allegiance from Russia in March 2025.

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