The tennis world is abuzz with excitement as the Australian Open returns, and with it, the highly anticipated rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Six-time champion Roger Federer, who is making his first appearance at the tournament since his retirement in 2022, has weighed in on the dominance of these two young players, hailing their rivalry as "great" and their tennis as "incredible."
Federer, who will be headlining the inaugural opening ceremony with a doubles exhibition match alongside Andre Agassi, Patrick Rafter, and Lleyton Hewitt, had high praise for the young duo. "The rivalry with Alcaraz and Sinner is a great one," he said. "They play incredible tennis. I think that French Open final was unreal. I think the game, not that it needed it, but it was great that we had it." Federer's comments come as no surprise, given the impressive displays of tennis that Alcaraz and Sinner have been showcasing in recent years.
Federer continued: "Then they backed it up by playing against each other in all those other finals. Everybody is trying to keep up and they’re trying to pull away. What we’ve seen in terms of their progression in the last years, it’s been wonderful. I practised with those guys a little bit. They’re incredible ball strikers. There’s obviously more to come. I just hope they stay injury free."
As the Australian Open gets underway, all eyes will be on Alcaraz and Sinner as they embark on their respective journeys to claim the coveted title. Alcaraz, the men's No 1, will face Adam Walton of Australia in his first-round match, while Sinner, the second seed, will begin his title defence against France's Hugo Gaston. The question on everyone's mind is whether any challenger will be able to compete with these two tennis powerhouses.
Alcaraz is on the cusp of making history as he attempts to become the youngest man to win the career Grand Slam at just 22 years old. Although he has already won every other major twice, he is yet to pass the quarter-final stage at the Australian Open. Sinner, on the other hand, will be gunning for his third consecutive title in Melbourne, a feat that would cement his position as one of the sport's top players.
wiątek, a semi-finalist in 2022, will begin her tournament against a qualifier, but she has been handed a difficult draw in the bottom half. The Pole could face Naomi Osaka, the 31st seed and two-time champion, the fifth seed, Elena Rybakina, and Amanda Anisimova, the fourth seed, in consecutive rounds. At the top of the draw, world No 1, Aryna Sabalenka, seeks her third Australian Open title, having won her 22nd WTA title in Brisbane last week.
Sabalenka's loss in last year's final to Madison Keys marked her third consecutive final in Melbourne. The Belarusian begins her Australian Open campaign against Sarah Rakotomang Rajaonah of France. With the stage set for an electrifying tournament, one thing is certain – the 2024 Australian Open will be an event to remember, with the world's top tennis players vying for glory and etching their names in the history books.
Original: The Guardian
Image: The Guardian
Written by Npsports
