If it ain’t broke, do not repair it. Good recommendation, you may assume, particularly for Jannik Sinner, who received two of the 4 majors in 2025 and was inside one level of a 3rd.
However when the person denying him the opposite two slams is Carlos Alcaraz, standing nonetheless just isn’t an choice. Alcaraz leads their head-to-head matchup 10-6, has received seven of their previous 9 conferences, and till Sinner beat him to win his first Wimbledon title final summer season, Alcaraz had received 5 in a row.
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For Sinner, one thing needed to change. Instantly after dropping to Alcaraz within the US Open last final yr, he pinpointed what he wanted: selection.
“I used to be very predictable right this moment,” he stated in New York. “Throughout this event, I did not make one serve-volley, did not use a variety of drop photographs, and then you definitely arrive to some extent the place you play in opposition to Carlos the place it’s important to exit of the consolation zone. I’ll goal to … [try] to be a bit extra unpredictable as a participant as a result of I believe that is what I’ve to do … to turn into a greater tennis participant.”
Sinner is the two-time defending champion on the Australian Open, which started Sunday. Successful one other would make him the one man aside from Novak Djokovic, who did it twice, to assert three straight titles within the Open period. And but, as Sinner begins his title protection, he is aware of that ought to he face Alcaraz within the last, he may want to supply one thing totally different.
Australian Open Males’s Odds
The transition started rapidly. Sinner received 4 of his 5 occasions after the US Open, together with the ATP Tour Finals, relying largely on his ordinary model of excellent baseline play, but additionally mixing issues up extra typically, utilizing drop photographs extra recurrently and making extra forays to the web.
In line with Tennis Knowledge Improvements, Sinner elevated his selection — how a lot a participant varies his shot choice — from 11.7 % to 13.7 %. That is nonetheless properly beneath the Tour common of 19.1 %, however represents a rise of 17 %.
He additionally upped his use of slice from 3.6 % to 4.2 %, went from 1.5 % of drop photographs hit to 2 % and, within the largest bump of all, elevated his web play from 3 % to 4.3 %.
Enhancing his web recreation was considered one of Sinner’s predominant offseason targets. “We labored quite a bit on attempting to make the transition to the web,” Sinner stated at Melbourne Park on Friday. “The serve, we modified a few issues. However all small particulars. When you’re on the prime stage, small particulars make the distinction. I might say [in] the primary matches, you attempt to get used to the match feeling once more, after which after, you attempt to add one thing. We see how issues go. We see what situations we play in.”
Selection comes simply for Alcaraz, who likes to go to the web when he can and who hit three drop photographs in serving out for victory in Tokyo in his first ATP Tour occasion after the US Open.
Altering one’s pure recreation is way from straightforward. Take Coco Gauff, who received her second Grand Slam title final yr, however whose efforts to alter her fragile second serve stay very a lot a piece in progress.
Australian Open Ladies’s Odds
Ivan Lendl labored tirelessly to enhance his web recreation in a bid to win Wimbledon within the Nineteen Eighties, even skipping the French Open, the place he had received 3 times. It did not work. Andy Murray, with the assistance of Lendl as his coach, added extra energy and aggression to his pure recreation, nevertheless it took time to repay. Jack Draper was a pure counter-puncher (somebody who’s most comfy turning protection into assault) as a result of, as he has defined, he was quick as a baby. It took him time to turn into extra aggressive.
It can be harmful to focus an excessive amount of on one individual. Roger Federer admitted he needed to change his recreation to beat Rafael Nadal. It was solely years later when he additionally made different adjustments, together with utilizing a bigger-headed racket, that he discovered the key, profitable seven of their final eight battles.
Sinner’s adjustments are much less drastic and designed to enhance his probabilities in opposition to everybody, not simply Alcaraz. “In the event you add one thing to your recreation, the goal is to get higher as a tennis participant,” Sinner stated. “It is not about beating one man. It is extra about feeling comfy in each state of affairs. That is what we tried to do within the offseason.
“We labored quite a bit bodily. The bodily half now’s so vital as a result of the matches can get very lengthy but additionally very intense. The tennis now, it is very quick. You must be on the prime bodily stage so long as you possibly can. The season may be very lengthy, so it’s important to handle your physique in the very best approach. Additionally, the psychological potential to remain there all the time, it is going to be essential.”
There may be little fallacious with Sinner’s recreation. Final yr, he was the primary man to prime the stats in share of service video games received and return video games received. However in opposition to Alcaraz particularly, even somewhat enchancment might make an enormous distinction.
