TENNIS: Dark horses or also-rans? Australian Open short on genuine contenders

The Australian Open could see Jannik Sinner crowned champion for a third straight year or Carlos Alcaraz complete a career Grand Slam, but behind the two rising stars are several former contenders facing hard truths about their chances at Melbourne Park.

Novak Djokovic’s bid for a record-extending 11th Australian Open title appears increasingly unlikely, with the Serbian great still searching for one more major that would make him the most successful Grand Slam champion in history.

At 38, Djokovic is nearing the twilight of his career and has watched Sinner and Alcaraz dominate the Grand Slam scene over the past two years. While his best days may be behind him, some players never fully experienced their moment at the top.

That includes Alexander Zverev. Ranked third in the ATP standings, the 28-year-old German was long expected to challenge the dominance of the “Big Three,” but he has yet to win a Grand Slam title.

Zverev said he was proud to finish 2025 as world No. 3, though the gap in points between him and the top two is stark. In fact, he sits closer to No. 100 than to Alcaraz or Sinner, highlighting how dominant the top pair have become.

That gap has made third place feel more like a consolation prize than a stepping stone. Zverev reached last year’s Australian Open final but was beaten comfortably by Sinner in straight sets, and his only title in 2025 came at the Bavarian Championships on home soil.

Rather than searching inward for solutions, Zverev has pointed to external factors, citing ball quality, defensive playing styles, and even suggesting that court conditions favor Alcaraz and Sinner.

Brutal self-reflection

Daniil Medvedev has taken a different approach, choosing honest self-assessment over excuses.

The former world No. 1 reached only two finals last year and enters Melbourne ranked outside the top 10, a sharp contrast to his peak years. After changing coaches, Medvedev ended an 882-day title drought by winning the Almaty Open in Kazakhstan.

Medvedev, who has lost three Australian Open finals — including a five-set defeat to Sinner in 2024 — has shown early promise this season by winning the Brisbane International.

“I will be honest, when I was top three, top four, I was thinking a lot about what to do against Carlos and Jannik and where I could improve,” Medvedev said.

“But last year I played horrible. I never even reached the rounds to face them. So this pre-season, I didn’t think about them at all. It was more about getting back to my level first, beating the other guys, and then maybe playing them.”

Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime also enters the tournament with renewed confidence after a strong finish to 2025, reaching the Paris Masters final and the semifinals of the ATP Finals. His improved hard-court form could put him in contention at Melbourne Park.

Another player to watch is Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, who returned from a seven-month injury layoff to win a title in his first event back, helping Poland defeat Switzerland in the United Cup final.

With Sinner and Alcaraz setting the pace, the Australian Open promises not only a battle for the title but also a test of whether the chasing pack can close the widening gap at the top.

-Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Reuters