Camille Naredo

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<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1768626430385AFP__20250608__49MD6XB__v1__Preview__TennisFraOpen2025.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Spain&#x27;s Carlos Alcaraz reacts after winning a point during his men&#x27;s singles final match against Italy&#x27;s Jannik Sinner on day 15 of the French Open tennis tournament on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on June 8, 2025. Julien de Rosa, AFP/File" width="960"/>Spain&#x27;s Carlos Alcaraz reacts after winning a point during his men&#x27;s singles final match against Italy&#x27;s Jannik Sinner on day 15 of the French Open tennis tournament on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on June 8, 2025. Julien de Rosa, AFP/File</div>MELBOURNE, Australia -- Carlos Alcaraz launches his bid for a career Grand Slam on Sunday &quot;hungry&quot; for an elusive Australian Open title, while Aryna Sabalenka is laser-focused on clinching a third Melbourne crown.The first major of the year gets under way as a 15-day event for the third time running, aimed at cutting down on late-night finishes.Top seed Alcaraz is desperate to win it, having failed to go past the quarter-finals in four previous trips to Australia.The title is the only one missing from his major collection, which currently consists of two French Opens, two US Opens and two Wimbledons.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/1/14/tennis-sinner-in-way-as-alcaraz-targets-career-grand-slam-in-australia-1544">READ: Sinner in way as Alcaraz targets career Grand Slam in Australia</a></div>&quot;This is my main goal for this year,&quot; Alcaraz, who gets under way in the night match on Rod Laver Arena against home player Adam Walton, said.&quot;I&#x27;m just hungry for the title, hungry to do a really good result here.&quot;He has met the 79th-ranked Walton once before, at Queen&#x27;s in London last year, when he won 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).Should the 22-year-old complete the career Slam he would join an exclusive club as just the sixth man to win all four major titles after Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Rod Laver.He would also become the youngest, surpassing Nadal, who was 24 at the time.But he has a big roadblock in front of him, with Italy&#x27;s Jannik Sinner the two-time defending champion and in peak physical condition.Sinner, who beat Alexander Zverev in last year&#x27;s final and went on to win Wimbledon, opens against France&#x27;s Hugo Gaston, who he has met twice before but not since 2021.&quot;We worked a lot physically,&quot; Sinner said of his pre-season. &quot;The physical part now is so, so important because the matches can get very long and also very intense.&quot;You have to be at the top physical level as long as you can.&quot;Assuming he gets that far, Sinner could meet 10-time champion Djokovic in the semi-finals before a potential clash with Alcaraz for the title.Djokovic would surpass Margaret Court as the outright Slam leader on 25 titles should he turn back the clock and upstage his younger rivals.He has a tricky opener against Spain&#x27;s Pedro Martinez.Zverev, in the same half of the draw as Alcaraz, is also in action Sunday against Canadian Gabriel Diallo.World number 10 Alexander Bublik takes on American Jenson Brooksby.<div> </div><div>- Sabalenka hot favorite -<img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1768626479762AFP__20250708__666M267__v1__MidRes__TennisGbrWimbledon.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Belarus&#x27;s Aryna Sabalenka returns the ball to Germany&#x27;s Laura Siegemund during their women&#x27;s singles quarter-final tennis match on the ninth day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 8, 2025. Kirill Kudryavtsev, AFP/FileBelarus&#x27;s Aryna Sabalenka returns the ball to Germany&#x27;s Laura Siegemund during their women&#x27;s singles quarter-final tennis match on the ninth day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 8, 2025. Kirill Kudryavtsev, AFP/File"/>Belarus&#x27;s Aryna Sabalenka returns the ball to Germany&#x27;s Laura Siegemund during their women&#x27;s singles quarter-final tennis match on the ninth day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 8, 2025. Kirill Kudryavtsev, AFP/File</div>Top-ranked Sabalenka kicks off against French wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah, preceding Alcaraz onto Rod Laver Arena.The Belarusian went into last year&#x27;s final aiming to become the first woman since Martina Hingis to win three consecutive Australian Opens.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/1/13/sabalenka-favorite-at-australian-open-but-faces-swiatek-us-threats-1232">READ: Sabalenka favorite at Australian Open but faces Swiatek, US threats</a></div>But she was stunned by Madison Keys, a setback she admitted &quot;took me a little time to recover&quot; from.&quot;I&#x27;m not really focusing on that result last year,&quot; said Sabalenka, who won the Brisbane title last week. &quot;But of course I would like to do just a little bit better than I did last year.&quot;Keys failed to really kick on from clinching a maiden Grand Slam and is in Australia as the ninth seed.She will need to improve after clocking up nearly 50 unforced errors in her early exit at the warm-up Adelaide International.She meets debutant Oleksandra Oliynykova of Ukraine and could face Jessica Pegula in the last 16 and Amanda Anisimova in the last eight.&quot;I&#x27;m really trying to push myself to kind of evolve and add more things to my game,&quot; said the American.Sabalenka&#x27;s chief rival, six-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek is, like Alcaraz, angling for a career Grand Slam in Melbourne.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/1/3/swiatek-says-women-s-tennis-does-not-need-battle-of-the-sexes-1239">READ: Swiatek says women&#x27;s tennis does not need &#x27;Battle of the Sexes&#x27;</a></div>&quot;Obviously it would be a dream come true,&quot; said the Polish star, who is yet to go beyond the semi-finals.She will begin against Chinese qualifier Yuan Yue.Seventh seed Jasmine Paolini, 12th seed Elena Svitolina and veteran Venus Williams are also in action on Sunday.

Carlos Alcaraz launches his bid for a career Grand Slam on Sunday "hungry" for an elusive Australian Open title, while Aryna Sabalenka is laser-focused on clinching a third Melbourne crown.

Carlos Alcaraz launches his bid for a career Grand Slam on Sunday "hungry" for an elusive Australian Open title, while Aryna Sabalenka is laser-focused on clinching a third Melbourne crown.

Hungry Alcaraz, focused Sabalenka target Australian Open glory

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Hungry Alcaraz, focused Sabalenka target Australian Open glory

Martin Parry,

Agence France-Presse

Published Jan 17, 2026 01:12 PM PHT

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tennis

Australian Open

Grand Slam

Carlos Alcaraz

Aryna Sabalenka

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