The top-ranked Sinner, who is the defending champion at Melbourne Park, and No. 3 Alcaraz are coming off a 2024 season in which they each won two Grand Slam titles.

Italy's Jannik Sinner returns the ball to Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor during the Davis Cup final tennis match between Netherlands and Italy at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. Credit: AP/Manu Fernandez

The first round of the Australian Open continues on Monday at Melbourne Park where top seed and defending champion Jannik Sinner seeks a third Grand Slam title while Novak Djokovic begins his quest for a record-extending 25th major.

Defending champion Jannik Sinner and 10-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic have landed in opposite sides of the draw for the season’s first major, ruling out a replay of last year’s semifinal encounter.

The two defending champions, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, enter the 2025 Australian Open as favorites to win in Melbourne again.

Iga Swiatek, a self-described “control freak,” is taking new precautions — including holding on to extra samples of medicine she takes, in case they need to be tested at some point — after a doping ca