Sinner and Djokovic Charge into Melbourne’s Heat

In Melbourne’s unyielding January sun, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic return to Rod Laver Arena for the Australian Open‘s second round, where every point carries the weight of unfinished business. Sinner, the two-time defending champion, steps into the evening session not before 7 p.m. AEDT, his unbeaten run in Melbourne since 2023 fueling a three-peat chase that demands flawless execution. Djokovic, with a record 10 Australian Open titles, follows earlier in the day, his predatory form hinting at another deep run amid the tournament’s grinding pace.

The Italian’s path crosses with Australian wild card James Duckworth, a matchup that revives their 2-1 head-to-head, dormant since 2021. Duckworth’s home-soil aggression could test Sinner’s baseline dominance, forcing adjustments to those heavy topspin forehands that pin opponents deep on the hard courts. Yet Sinner’s poise under pressure, honed through back-to-back triumphs here, turns potential traps into routine advances.

Sinner navigates three-peat pressure

Sinner’s evening opener on Rod Laver Arena sets the tone for his title defense, where the humid air amplifies the crowd’s partisan roar. Duckworth, drawing on local resilience, might unleash crosscourt returns to disrupt the world No. 1’s 1–2 patterns, but Sinner’s inside-out backhands slice through such resistance with surgical precision. This clash isn’t just about power; it’s a psychological duel, with Sinner channeling quiet focus to extend his Melbourne mastery into 2026.

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Beneath the tactical layers, the stakes sharpen Sinner’s resolve—another straight-sets victory preserves his ranking lead and silences early doubts, propelling him toward a legacy-defining run. Duckworth’s wildcard fire adds unpredictability, yet the Italian’s serve, flat and penetrating, often dictates the rally’s tempo before opponents can settle.

Djokovic confronts qualifier’s fire

Earlier, not before 1:30 p.m. AEDT, Djokovic faces Italian qualifier Francesco Maestrelli on the same arena, slotted after the women’s singles between Jessica Pegula and McCartney Kessler. Fresh from a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 rout of Pedro Martinez—his first match since a 101st tour title in Athens—the Serb moves with that familiar blend of endurance and invention. Maestrelli’s underdog surge, marked by underspin slices and net forays, could jolt Djokovic’s rhythm, but the champion’s down-the-line backhands neutralize such threats on Melbourne’s true-bouncing surface.

Djokovic thrives in these early tests, his return game probing second serves to extend points and expose inexperience. The midday heat tests both, yet his tactical depth—varying topspin loops to counter slices—keeps him a step ahead, building momentum for the weeks ahead. A swift win here reinforces his top-10 hold, turning qualifier hurdles into mere warm-ups.

Supporting cast fuels day’s drama

Across the grounds, fifth seed Lorenzo Musetti and 12th seed Casper Ruud ignite Margaret Court Arena with baseline exchanges, their clay-bred topspin adapting to hard-court speed through sharp inside-in forehands. American Top 10 stars Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz bring thunderous serves to John Cain Arena, where Shelton’s lefty spin clashes with Fritz’s flat power in rallies that echo the venue’s electric vibe. These seeds navigate the draw’s volatility, each victory inching them closer to potential quarterfinal collisions.

Then, in a farewell laced with nostalgia, Stan Wawrinka meets French qualifier Arthur Gea third on Kia Arena, the 2014 champion’s final Australian Open bow stirring the crowd’s sentiment. Wawrinka’s one-handed backhand, once a weapon of elegant fury, now battles time amid Gea’s fresh energy, turning every crosscourt winner into a poignant reminder of eras past. The day’s undercurrents—from Sinner’s burden to Djokovic’s pursuit and Wawrinka’s closure—promise outcomes that could reshape the tournament’s trajectory, with Melbourne’s hard courts rewarding those who blend grit and genius.