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Jannik Sinner will be defending his 2024 Australian Open title next week. The Italian secured his maiden Grand Slam triumph in Melbourne in dramatic fashion last year, coming from two sets to love down to beat Daniil Medvedev in his first-ever Major final.
The World No. 1 didn't play any lead-up events to the Happy Slam this year, choosing to play the first Grand Slam tournament of the year without any match preparation. Sinner has received a moderately difficult draw in Melbourne, and it remains to be seen whether he can tussle it out to take home his third Major.
On that note, let's take a look at his potential opponents at the 2025 Australian Open:
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Jannik Sinner's 1R opponent - Nicolas Jarry
Jannik Sinner opens his campaign against World No. 34 Nicolas Jarry. The Italian has received one of the toughest first-round matches among all top players, as Jarry was ranked inside the top 20 ATP rankings not too long ago.
While the two players are tied 1-1 in their head-to-head meetings on the men's tour, Sinner won their most recent encounter at the 2024 China Open in three sets. The top seed is the firm favorite to win this match, but he may be taken to the distance if he's not in top form.
Jannik Sinner's potential 2R opponent - Taro Daniel/Tristan Schoolkate
Sinner is next projected to face either Japan's Taro Daniel or local favorite Tristan Schoolkate in the second round of the Australian Open. While the 23-year-old has yet to meet Schoolkate on the men's tour, he owns a 2-0 edge over Daniel, with one of his wins over the Japanese having come in Melbourne two years ago.
Jannik Sinner's potential 3R opponent - Flavio Cobolli/Tomas Martin Etcheverry/Marcos Giron
The going gets tougher for Jannik Sinner from the third round as he will take on either fellow countryman Flavio Cobolli, World No. 39 Tomas Martin Etcheverry, or USA's Marcos Giron for a berth in the second week in Melbourne.
The Italian has never met the 32nd-seeded Cobolli on the ATP Tour, meaning that a prospective match against his compatriot could be a challenge for him. He does, however, lead Etcheverry and Giron 2-0 and 1-0 in their respective head-to-head records, giving him very appreciable chances of making it to the Round of 16.
Jannik Sinner's potential 4R opponent - Hubert Hurkacz/Holger Rune
Provided the World No. 1 reaches this far, he will likely have resistance from either 13th-seeded Holger Rune or 2024 quarterfinalist Hubert Hurkacz. While the 23-year-old has a 3-2 edge over Hurkacz, he is tied 2-2 with Rune.
Sinner has struggled in his respective match-ups with the Pole and the Dane in the past. He will have to be at his best if he wants to douse their challenge and secure his place in the last eight at the Australian Open.
Jannik Sinner's potential QF opponent - Stefanos Tsitsipas/Alex De Minaur
Jannik Sinner might get to renew his rivalry with Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals, if the latter gets past eighth seed Alex De Minaur in his projected fourth-round match. The Italian trails the Greek 3-6 in their head-to-head meetings, having dropped their most recent encounter at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters.
Sinner has a much healthier record against De Minaur, with a 9-0 lead to boot. The top seed notably beat the Aussie en route to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open two years ago, where he was denied by Tsitsipas.
Jannik Sinner's potential SF opponent - Daniil Medvedev/Taylor Fritz
Keeping in mind how tough his draw is, very few fans would chastise the World No. 1 for falling before the semifinal hurdle. Sinner's title defense takes a rough turn in the last-four stage, with possible rematches with Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz looming.
The 23-year-old has defeated former World No. 1 Medvedev in their last eight encounters on hardcourts. Their most recent encounter at the 2024 US Open went in Sinner's favor, following which he downed first-time finalist Taylor Fritz in the title match. He got the better of Medvedev and Fritz to win his first-ever ATP Finals title, as well.
Jannik Sinner's potential final opponent - Novak Djokovic/Carlos Alcaraz
Jannik Sinner's road to his Australian Open title defense is bookended by his top rivals, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. While World No. 3 Alcaraz had the Italian's number in all of their meetings on the ATP Tour last year, the 24-time Major winner lost both of their matches.
That said, Djokovic is still tied 4-4 with Sinner in their head-to-head meetings, and he can cause the Italian plenty of trouble if he's motivated enough. Against that background, it will be incredibly tough for the World No. 1 to defend his Australian Open title.
