And just as Djokovic had a couple of hurdles by the names of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to deal with, Sinner is not alone among the newest generation of tennis stars. His top rival at this point is Carlos Alcaraz, who has four Slam victories at age 21 — and won all three matches he played against Sinner in 2024.

Everything that Jannik Sinner means to the summit of men's tennis could be temporarily wiped away in just a few months.

On a mild Sunday evening in Melbourne, world number one Jannik Sinner of Italy claimed the Australian Open’s Norman Brookes Challenge Cup, besting Germany’s Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 in the 2025 men’s final.