Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were seen sharing a court during an unexpected practice session at the Australian Open, prompted by rain disrupting the tournament schedule. With outdoor play halted due to the downpour, players turned to indoor courts, making for a rare and collaborative training environment.
The morning session on Day 1 of the 2025 Australian Open was disrupted by weather delays, with many matches suspended and resuming much later than scheduled. Notably, Leylah Fernandez mentioned that her match lasted nearly nine hours due to the rain interruptions.
In addition to official matches, practice sessions were also impacted. Players with training slots on outdoor courts had to cram into indoor facilities as a thunderstorm hit Melbourne on Sunday, January 12.
The weather did bring a rare sight, however, as two of last year's Grand Slam champions, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, were seen training side-by-side. The official Australian Open social media account shared a video of the rare occurrence.
Australian Open 2025: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's 1R opponents
Jannik Sinner has been drawn against Nicolas Jarry in the first round of the 2025 Australian Open. The Italian is the defending champion at the event. He won his first Grand Slam title in Melbourne last year and during a pre-tournament press conference said it was a "special" place to be back.
"Its very special, special place to be back. Many, many things have changed on and off the court. Very glad that these memories will always be in my mind for so, so many years," Sinner said.
"Let's see what I can do this year. It's a question that I think [none] of us can answer. But it's good to be back here, and we'll see what the tournament is going to say."
Sinner has faced World No. 34 Jarry twice before and their head-to-head is split 1-1. Their third encounter is scheduled for Monday, January 13.
Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz is set to take on Kazakhstan's Alexander Shevchenko in the first round at the 2025 Australian Open. The Spaniard won two Grand Slams last year and bagged the silver medal at the Paris Olympics in a matter of months. However, his form faded at the fag end of the season as he complained about the "tight" schedule.
Apart from a few exhibition matches, Alcaraz did not participate in any tour-level matches since the 2024 season. He will be opening his 2025 season with a clash against Shevchenko on Monday, January 13.