Australian Open 2026: Djokovic asserts his dominance, Sinner accelerates in pursuit of a record.

The second round of the 2026 Australian Open continues to heat up, with the spotlight on the two top contenders for the title: Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner. While Djokovic faces a challenge from the rising Italian talent, Sinner is displaying devastating form on his way to defending his title.

Djokovic faces the phenomenon Francesco Maestrelli.

Francesco Maestrelli has just reached a historic milestone in his career by winning his first Grand Slam title after a thrilling comeback victory against Terence Atmane. However, the reward for the 23-year-old Italian is the biggest challenge at Melbourne Park: facing 10-time champion Novak Djokovic.

Technically, Maestrelli is a tenacious defensive player, but having just expended energy in a five-set match will be a huge disadvantage when facing a master of ball control like Djokovic. Conversely, Nole is showing incredible consistency. The world number 4 only needed 25 games to finish his opening match, maintaining almost absolute control of the court.

Jannik Sinner and his ambition to dominate the Open Era.

If Djokovic is a symbol of endurance, then Jannik Sinner is operating like a "winning machine." The world number 2 is aiming for his third consecutive Melbourne Open title – a record only achieved by Djokovic in the Open Era.

Since the 2025 Shanghai Masters, Sinner has displayed incredible form, losing only one set in his last 16 matches. The combination of improved serving technique and the steely mentality honed under coach Riccardo Ceccarelli has made Sinner more resilient than ever. His opponent, James Duckworth, despite having home-court advantage, will find it difficult to bridge the gap in skill and intensity.

The women's singles series was full of twists and turns.

The women's singles matches on January 22nd also promise plenty of drama. The spotlight will be on the clash between the explosive Jelena Ostapenko and the tenacious Wang Xinyu. In addition, title contenders like Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, and Naomi Osaka will all be playing with the goal of maintaining their consistency after the early rounds.

Detailed schedule for the Australian Open on January 22nd.