Jannik Sinner pays tribute to Carlos Alcaraz’s magical touch as he continues campaign at Australian Open | ATP Tour
ATP Tour
Sinner moves on at Australian Open, hat-trick for Alcaraz’s magical touch
Two-time defending champion beats Duckworth, praises Alcaraz’s lob
January 22, 2026
Morgan Hancock/Getty Images
Jannik Sinner is chasing his third consecutive Australian Open title.
Written by ATP Staff
Janik Sinner continued his run toward a third straight Australian Open title on Thursday night, defeating home favorite James Duckworth 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 with impressive efficiency.
The second seed persevered throughout, extending his perfect 9-0 record against Australian opponents in Grand Slam tournaments. Sinner had little trouble on serve, erasing all three break points he encountered, according to Infosys Stats.
“Every game is very difficult, so I’m happy to get to the next round,” Sinner said in an on-court interview. “I came back well today and served well, so I’m happy with my performance. I want to thank you guys [the crowd]. I know I’m not Australian but you guys have been very fair to me so thank you for your support. “
Seal with a trump card! 👏@janniksin Defeated Duckworth in straight sets to advance to the third round#AusOpen2026
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 22, 2026
Sinner will face American Eliot Spizzirri in the third round, and although a showdown with rival world number one Carlos Alcaraz can only be played in the final, the Italian couldn’t help but give the Spaniard an easy nod when the subject of lobs came up.
“I think we all know who has the best lob … certainly Carlos,” Sinner said of Alcaraz, with whom he has shared the past eight major titles.
Sinner, who is No. 2 in the PIF ATP rankings, aims to become the second man in the Open era after Novak Djokovic to lift the Australian Open trophy three consecutive times.
