Former world No. 1 Jim Courier believes Jannik Sinner is aiming to reach a higher peak in his game to challenge an in-form Carlos Alcaraz.
As the defending Australian Open champion, Sinner will be back in action on Monday, facing 13th seed Holger Rune for a spot in the quarterfinals. Should Sinner defeat Rune and advance to the final in Melbourne, he could potentially face World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, who is on the opposite side of the draw.
Sinner and Alcaraz both claimed two Grand Slam singles titles in 2024, but the Italian had a more consistent year overall, winning eight titles and finishing the season nearly 5,000 ranking points ahead of Alcaraz. Despite Sinner’s superior ranking, Alcaraz won all three of their head-to-head matches in 2024, moving to a 6-4 lead in their rivalry.
Sinner has dropped only one set so far in Melbourne and lost just six matches in 2024—three of those to Alcaraz. Speaking on Eurosport, two-time Australian Open champion Courier explained that while Sinner is more consistent than Alcaraz, the Italian is striving to reach the same peak level as his Spanish rival.
“Sinner knows that his base level of tennis will win matches,” said Courier. “He knows that even on his worst day, he’s better than most players, including Carlos Alcaraz. But I think he’s realized that his best day still isn’t quite at Alcaraz’s level, because Alcaraz has so many more options.”
Courier added that Sinner is working to develop those extra options and is building toward performing at his highest level in the biggest matches. “He’s going to need to beat guys like Djokovic and Alcaraz to win this title, but first, he has to get past Rune. The road only gets tougher from here,” Courier said.
Sinner and Rune are tied 2-2 in their head-to-head, but the Italian enters the match as the favorite given Rune’s inconsistent form in recent months. If Sinner overcomes Rune, he’s projected to face eighth seed Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals, a player he has dominated in previous meetings with a 9-0 record.
In Sinner’s side of the draw, fourth seed Taylor Fritz and fifth seed Daniil Medvedev have both been knocked out, leaving 21st seed Ben Shelton as the highest-ranked player he could face in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz has already booked his spot in the quarterfinals. The Spaniard was leading 7-5, 6-1 when his round of 16 opponent, 15th seed Jack Draper, was forced to retire due to injury. Alcaraz will now face Novak Djokovic in a highly anticipated quarterfinal matchup.
