ATP Tour
Sinner cruises on at Australian Open, tips his cap to Alcaraz’s magic touch
Two-time defending champion defeats Duckworth, praises Alcaraz’s drop shots
January 22, 2026
Morgan Hancock/Getty Images
Jannik Sinner is chasing his third consecutive Australian Open title.
By ATP Staff
Jannik Sinner continued his smooth march toward a potential third straight Australian Open crown on Thursday night, dispatching home favourite James Duckworth 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 with clinical efficiency.
The second seed was relentless throughout, extending his flawless 9-0 record against Australian opponents at Grand Slam events. Sinner faced little trouble on serve, erasing all three break points he encountered, according to Infosys Stats.
“Every match is very difficult, so I’m very happy to be in the next round,” Sinner said in his on-court interview. “I was returning very well today, and my serve was also good, so I’m very happy about my performance. I want to thank you guys [the crowd]. I know I’m not Australian, but you have been very fair to me, so thank you for the support.”
Sealed with an Ace! 👏@janniksin sails into Round 3 with a straight sets win over Duckworth#AusOpen2026
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 22, 2026
Sinner booked a third-round clash with American Eliot Spizzirri, and while a showdown with rival and World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz could only come in the final, the Italian couldn’t resist a light-hearted nod to the Spaniard when the topic of drop shots arose.
“I think we all know who has the best drop shots… Carlos, of course,” Sinner said of Alcaraz, with whom he has split the past eight major titles.
The No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Sinner is aiming to become just the second man in the Open Era — alongside Novak Djokovic — to lift three consecutive Australian Open trophies.
