Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, holders of all four Grand Slam titles, are in opposite halves of the Australian Open draw, making possible a first major final between them.
But could Novak Djokovic, who’s landed in Alcaraz’ quarter, prevent that unfolding while achieving even more history in Melbourne?
As well as some incredible opening-round blockbusters in the women’s draw, the top players have all hit the ground running in 2025 – but who has impressed most?
We put all of these questions to our panel of experts – as well as getting them to predict the two singles champions at Australian Open 2025.
Our experts
Sam Stosur: 2011 US Open champion and now Australian Billie Jean King Cup captain
Jelena Dokic: Former world No.4 and 2000 Wimbledon semifinalist
John Millman: 2018 US Open quarterfinalist and former world No.33
Nicole Pratt: Former world No.35 and Australian women’s coach lead
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have landed in opposite halves of the draw. Could we see the first Grand Slam final meeting between these two great rivals?
STOSUR: "Obviously it's a really exciting prospect, and when we go through and make these predictions of who's gonna be in finals or win the tournament or whatever, nothing usually plays out in a Grand Slam exactly how everyone scripts it. From a tennis lover's point of view and everything else for history, it would be amazing if it did happen here. But there are gonna be a few other people have their say about that too. Sinner has barely lost a match all year, but the person that he's ultimately lost to is Carlos, and they might be in the final. So yeah, it would be pretty cool.”
DOKIC: “You would say yes if you saw the form at the end of the year from both playing so well, especially Sinner. These conditions suit them. Alcaraz though wants to do well here, this is the one that he wants to win, and the only one he hasn’t won, and also never been in the final. Yes, Sinner and Alcaraz are the favourites, they should be in the final. I would still look out for [Alexander] Zverev to potentially spoil the party. But it would be silly to say that these two are not the favourites to meet in the final. And for me they are the two most complete players at the moment physically, mentally, tactically, emotionally.”
MILLMAN: “It definitely could happen, I think they’re the two brightest prospects in the game right now, they’ve really established themselves. I know Alcaraz comes in here not as the second seed, but I think they have established themselves as the top two players in the world currently, especially if you go by grand slam success. In terms of the match up, I think Alcaraz has that little edge if you look at the head-to-head… I think Jannik is the superior hard court player however and that's demonstrated by the way he bookended the year with the Grand Slams. I think it would be great for tennis if we saw those two play in the final, but there are other storylines that if those were in the final it would be just as good.”
PRATT: “Yeah I think it’s great because it is a talking point… I feel like they are the No.1 and No.2 players in the world when it comes to Grand Slam tennis. So the fact that they can potentially meet in the final is exciting, and I know that maybe people who haven’t bought tickets to the men's final will probably now be buying tickets to the men's final in anticipation for that match-up. There are a lot of matches to be won [before then], and we know that Grand Slam tennis is about managing yourself over two weeks … But these two young guys have got some very experienced people around them, so I don't think it’s unreasonable to think that both of them could be at the final.”
Novak Djokovic is seeded seventh, and has landed in Alcaraz’s quarter. How might he perform, and could he stop Carlos?
STOSUR: "He knows how to get himself ready for these tournaments without necessarily huge match preparation. Even though he lost in the Brisbane quarters, he still played three matches, and I don't think that even at the seventh seed and whatever's going on, [especially] at the Australian Open and Wimbledon I just don't think you can discount what he's gonna be capable of. I think it's getting harder for him, given the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz and those guys, with the level and consistency that they're playing with. But he's arguably the greatest ever, so you'd be pretty hard-pressed to say Djokovic is not in with a chance.”
DOKIC: “For me, Djokovic is the most driven and ambitious player and he wants to win the 25th Slam. At the same, I think that it is very hard for him to focus on anything else other than Grand Slams at this point. He’s won everything, there's nothing else to win. You [can] kind of lose motivation. I think he wants to win the 100th title, I think he wants to win one more Grand Slam. It is on the line. I think in his last games against Sinner and Alcaraz, he has been outplayed and he's even admitted that. I think he has to find that motivation like he had with Federer and Nadal, and to go: ‘I still have a year or two and I'm not letting these young ones [stop me]. If anyone can do that it's Novak. But as you get older, every year almost feels like five.”
MILLMAN: “I think this is the first time in about seven or eight years that he has fallen outside of the top four seedings for the Australian Open. So it is unusual that he can potentially play one of the big boys, in this case Alcaraz, in the quarterfinals. I really like Novak’s chances, I think a lot of people wrote him off based on the fact that he didn’t win a Grand Slam in 2024, they see that he is a year older. He’s ageless though, I think, the way he looks after his body, always looks in tip-top condition. I think the motivation is there… Now, Andy Murray in the coaching box, he is looking to improve well and truly, now he’s back on getting Grand Slam success and made mention he is going for 25 in 2025. [If he met Alcaraz] I would probably give the edge to the elder, Novak Djokovic. I think generally speaking, consistently Novak is a little bit better.”
PRATT: “You never count out a Grand Slam champion. In all honesty, I think if he gets through to that quarterfinal against Alcaraz, I actually think there would be a terrific result. I mean, that's a tantalising match up for a quarterfinal, so let's hope that happens. I think Djokovic, a little like Nadal… do they have the legs? And I think what we saw with Nadal and Federer was a little bit of a slow down. From what I saw at Brisbane, I mean [Reilly] Opelka served incredible, but normally one of the best serves is playing the best returners – Djokovic wouldn’t lose that match previously.”
The world’s top three women, Sabalenka, Swiatek and Gauff, and No.6 Rybakina, are all major champions and have all hit the ground running in 2025. Who’s impressed you most?
STOSUR: "I think for Rybakina, having the issues she had last year... to come out and play like this already [in 2025] I think for her is very promising. Whereas the others you kind of expect them to be playing well; like Coco's won Auckland before going in, Sabalenka won Brisbane last year. So it's not like it's unusual for them to kind of hit the ground running. They're all amazing hard-court players, but you might rank Iga last out of that four, I'd say, and especially on these hard courts [in Australia].
DOKIC: “I think Rybakina is still finding her form, she looked good at the United Cup and had a tough one with Iga… I don’t know whether [that best form] will be here – hard court does suit her, and she lost early last year so that might be some motivation for her to do well here again. And the pressure is off since she hasn’t made a final in a while. I think at this point you would [rank it as] Sabalenka, Gauff, Swiatek. I would say [Sabalenka and Gauff are] two of the best hard court players in the world by far. The last time Sabalenka lost on hard court at a Grand Slam was almost 18 months ago at the US Open 2023. That gives you massive confidence and Sabalenka showed last year with all the improvement in her game emotionally, confidence wise, that she is the best hard court player.”
MILLMAN: “Two stick out for me. Sabalenka was awesome in Brisbane; I got to see that first-hand, calling some of the matches [not hers] but being on-site and seeing her. She is such an imposing figure and her record here at the Australian Open is pretty special, she is going for the three-peat. She is definitely the best out of the women in terms of Grand Slam play. Unbelievable player, huge ball striker – the stats show that she is hitting it harder then most of the men on tour. The other person that I really like, and I know that they meet each other and are in the same half, Coco Gauff. I thought she was super impressive at the United Cup, she’s got a massive serve, close to that 200km-mark which is crazy. She is such a good mover, an athlete. I thought at the United cup she was playing a little more aggressively, which I really liked. I’m a big fan of Coco Gauff and I think if someone is going to knock off Sabalenka it is going to be Coco.”
PRATT: “I think there’s a little air of real confidence about Coco. Obviously Sabalenka is on a roll and she is probably going to be the one to beat, but I like what I see from Coco this time around.”
There are some incredible first-round match-ups at Australian Open 2025. Which one excites you most?
STOSUR: "Sabalenka and Stephens. Well, it's right at the top of the draw (laughter). There's a lot of decisions ahead for schedulers: what court are we gonna put all these guys on and when do we find the spaces? I think we know what we're gonna get from Sabalenka, whereas Stephens sometimes puts in a match where you're like, huh, what was that? But I think in this big moment, I think she'll be there ready to fight. And we know she's got the game that can withstand power, she can move people. The way she's able to generate her own pace; she'll look like she's going to hit the same ball again, and all of a sudden it's like, boom. I think that'll be a pretty interesting first-round – certainly if I was one of the seeds, I wouldn't want to be seeing Sloane Stephens straight up.”
DOKIC: “I was looking for Naomi Osaka, whose draw is insane. A replay of last year's big first round match against Garcia. But then it's Muchova, Ostapenko, then it's Gauff or something, it’s insane – but then you wouldn’t bet against her. She's finding her form, I feel like she was looking really happy, looking really healthy. I'm looking forward to seeing what she can do. She is to me the most dangerous hard court player outside the top 3-4."
ANALYSIS: Osaka and Nishikori flying flag for Japan at AO 2025
MILLMAN: “In terms of the ones where I think there may be potential upsets, I think Tsitsipas vs Michelsen. I really like the Californian, he is young, brash, he plays with no fear, has a huge serve, and his backhand is something really special. The Rublev vs Fonseca match, this kid is so good, obviously Next Gen Finals winner. He's on something like a 14-match winning streak right now. The other one I would be looking out for, just watch this space, is Hubert Hurkacz vs Tallon Griekspoor. Griekspoor I thought was super impressive at the Davis Cup, when he led his team to a final there. Hurkacz got a bit of a coaching addition in Nicolas Massu. I think the men’s [draw] is loaded, Dimitrov vs Fognini - the battle of the slightly older ones. Monfils vs Mpetshi Perricard. I’m sure Giovanni looked up to Gael growing up, he's only 21 years old, he's got a humongous serve.”
PRATT: “I just think anytime you’ve got previous Grand Slam champions, like Sabalenka and Sloane Stephens. I don’t think Sloane Stephens is the player she used to be, however, she is dangerous, she’s an unbelievable ball striker. But at the end of the day I think every round one match-up is interesting. Everyone is nervous, I don’t care if you are a Grand Slam champion, round one is round one and it is game on for everyone.”
And finally, who will win the men’s and women’s singles titles at AO 2025?
STOSUR: “I'm gonna go with Sabalenka. That would be a three-peat, wouldn't it? And the men, I would say Sinner. I mean, I'm not really going out on a limb here, picking the two No.1s in the world.”
DOKIC: “I'm going off form and confidence, and the fact that they play so well over here and love the conditions – Sabalenka, and Sinner by a very small edge over Alcaraz. But I still think Alcaraz has something to prove.”
MILLMAN: “Let's go Novak Djokovic, 25 in 25. That’s got a really nice storyline. On the women’s side, I reckon Coco Gauff.”
PRATT: “It’s hard to go past Sinner, the level of professionalism he is showing, the level of adversity that he faced last year… he's the one to beat for me. I liked what I saw from Coco Gauff, [but] it’s just hard to go past Sabalenka. She is just so confident, she has the same team around her, no changes, still seems to be enjoying herself, and she really loves it here.”