Is Sinner-Alcaraz in danger of making majors boring?
Though the Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner rivalry is thrilling, tennis correspondent Russell Fuller ponders whether it could make Grand Slams boring.
Though the Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner rivalry is thrilling, tennis correspondent Russell Fuller ponders whether it could make Grand Slams boring.
Years ago, Valentin Vacherot would sometimes turn up at ATP Challenger events to simply watch his half-brother Benjamin Balleret compete.
The two Monegasques would hit a few balls together in the evening before Vacherot, still a schoolboy at the time with no real thoughts of turning professional, headed back to his studies. Tennis was something he enjoyed rather than something he chased, but today, the roles have reversed. It is now Balleret watching from the side of the court, guiding the 27-year-old Vacherot as he competes among the ATP Tour’s elite.
“He was just playing tennis for fun,” Balleret told ATPTour.com, reflecting on Vacherot’s teenage years. “He was going to school and playing from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. with his coach. He did this until he was almost 18 years old. I would bring him to some Challengers in Italy to just watch my matches. It wasn’t serious, not really professional.”
What once felt like a casual introduction to life on Tour has evolved into one of the most compelling coach-player partnerships, built not solely on contracts but on family and belief. It is a relationship that made global headlines in Shanghai in October last year, when Vacherot stormed through qualifying to become the lowest-ranked ATP Masters 1000 champion in series history (since 1990).
Ironically, Vacherot began that Shanghai run as the No. 204 player in the PIF ATP Rankings — the exact career-high ranking Balleret reached during his own playing days. Now 43, Balleret admits he never achieved the success he hoped for as a player, but the lessons learned have become central to his effectiveness as a coach.
Before committing full time to Vacherot in 2022, Balleret built a strong coaching resume, guiding Gilles Muller to a career-high World No. 21 and working with Pierre-Hugues Herbert across a four-year spell that included three Grand Slam doubles titles. Those experiences helped shape a philosophy rooted in consistency rather than quick fixes.
“Every player, every human is different,” Balleret said. “Some things for me as a coach are important: work, respect… It doesn’t matter who you coach, this has to be there. [You have to] work hard, respect and trust each other. Then everything outside of that, you have to adapt to every player.”
[NO 1 CLUB]After Vacherot completed four years of college tennis at Texas A&M — where he played alongside his cousin Arthur Rinderknech, whom he later defeated in the Shanghai final — the brothers formally joined forces. What followed were seasons of steady progress, difficult losses and continued emotional investment.
“Sometimes it was difficult because it took time before what happened in Shanghai,” Balleret explained, referring to the sacrifices. “Because he’s my brother, it was even more difficult when you don’t have the results you want, when you feel like you’re losing so much and you think that you shouldn’t lose, some bad losses.
“But we never stopped believing, working and trusting each other — that’s more important. Then Shanghai happened… I think everybody talks enough about this, but it was really unreal to go until the end.”
<img alt=”Valentin Vacherot, Benjamin Balleret” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2026/01/22/13/47/vacherot-balleret-coach-spotlight-2026.jpg” />Valentin Vacherot and Benjamin Balleret celebrate in Shanghai. Photo: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images.
Coaching a family member presents its own challenges, particularly when the emotional lines between success and disappointment are thinner. For Balleret, learning when to step back as a brother and when to step in as a coach has been key to sustaining both the relationship and the results.
“I think it’s even easier sometimes to tell things to your brother,” Balleret said. “The most challenging part is the emotional part. When we win, I try to not be overwhelmed with the win because it’s also my brother and I’m so happy for him. It’s the same for a loss. Sometimes it’s difficult when you have a bad loss and not to be at the bottom, so I try to be really honest with him.
“I have this thing where I know him very well, better than almost everyone. So this has helped me, of course. But we’re also not spending 24 hours together… We try to spend quality time together. It’s pretty easy going. For most of the day, I’m his brother and not his coach.”
Shanghai also represented validation for a wider support team that had been carefully assembled over several seasons.
“Val and I, we tried for three years to put together a team that would help him reach his goals,” Balleret said. “That’s why he’s working with a fitness coach, Julien, his physio, Antoine, the mental coach, Isabelle. Also his girlfriend, Emily… We try to work all together and for all those people also, not only for Val and me.
“I’m so happy that Shanghai happened and that everybody’s rewarded with all the work in the dark. We were working in the shadows for so many years. Now Val is more in the spotlight, everybody’s more in the spotlight. We’re not looking for the spotlight, but you just feel good reaching the goal and being there with the top players and playing every week against those players.”
Vacherot showed the Shanghai title was no one-off. He quickly rose inside the world’s Top 40, reached the quarter-finals in Paris two weeks later and arrived at the 2026 Australian Open — his main-draw debut in Melbourne — as the 30th seed.
So where do they go from here? For Balleret, the focus remains unchanged.
“For this year, the goal for Val is to play the best players and to try to improve every week,” Balleret said. “Maybe he will play this guy and lose to this guy, but what can you improve to beat this guy next? That will be the main challenge this year for Val and I.”
More than 10 years after a young Valentin once watched from the stands without expectation, the tables have fully turned. Balleret is no longer the one being observed. Instead, he is the steady presence behind the scenes, guiding his half-brother through the brightest moments of a career that, not long ago, felt like nothing more than a game.
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On Thursday, 40-year-old Stan Wawrinka became the oldest man to reach the third round of the Australian Open since Ken Rosewall in 1978, while 37-year-old Marin Cilic showcased his own longevity by notching his 599th tour-level win, drawing level with Goran Ivanisevic for the most victories by a Croatian man in the Open Era.
And then there was 38-year-old, record 10-time champion Novak Djokovic, cruising into the third round in straight sets on Rod Laver Arena. All three featured in the Australian Open draw as far back as 2007, and their remarkable staying power has emerged as one of the defining talking points of the tournament’s opening week in Melbourne.
On Friday, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was the latest star to weigh in on her admiration for the trio.
“These guys are legends, G.O.A.T.s, especially Novak,” Sabalenka said. “He’s been developing his game his whole career. Right now, he’s really relevant with young boys. He’s playing incredible tennis. I feel like it depends on your physicality, of course, mentality, your approach to tennis. He’s very healthy, fit. He’s really focused. Yeah, at this age he’s playing incredible tennis.
“I feel like there is no age anymore in sport. It depends how you approach everything and if you have a smart team around you. I feel your career can be extended for I don’t know how many years.”
[NO 1 CLUB]At 27, Sabalenka is herself at the peak of her powers. The top seed lifted the trophy in Melbourne in 2023 and 2024 and reached the final again in 2025. But could she still be competing a decade from now?
“I’m not sure,” Sabalenka said. “I cannot say anything because you never know. You don’t know what’s waiting for you tomorrow. Ideally for me, I would love to, I don’t know, maybe have kids at 32 or something. But knowing me, I know that I love to accept tough challenges, so I feel like even after having kid, I would love to challenge myself, like coming back and see if I still have it, just to challenge myself.
“So probably we’re going to see me being that grandma on tour trying. Hopefully I’ll be pushing these young girls. Let’s talk about that in 10 years. That’s a long time.”
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Carlos Alcaraz treated the Melbourne crowd to a highlight-reel performance Friday, earning a 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 victory against Corentin Moutet to reach the Australian Open fourth round.
If the top seed is feeling any pressure of chasing his maiden Australian Open title and a Career Grand Slam, the Spaniard is not showing it. Alcaraz played with confidence and freedom from the baseline, highlighted by a superb tweener on the second point of the second set, a 16-ball exchange that brought alive the fans inside Rod Laver Arena.
After leading 3-0 in the second set, Alcaraz dropped four consecutive games, yet quickly regrouped and earned a crucial break at 4-4 to serve for a two-sets-to-love lead. The World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings raced to a double-break lead in the third set and applied the finishing touches to advance after two hours and five minutes.
“It wasn’t easy,” Alcaraz said. “When you play someone like Corentin, you don’t know what’s going to be next. That’s really difficult to approach the match, but I had so much fun with it on the court. I think we both pulled off great shots, great points. I think there were a few highlights in the match. I’m grateful to play this kind of match against him.”
With his win, Alcaraz improved to 87-13 at Slam level, tying Bjorn Borg for the best major record after 100 matches. A six-time major champion, the 22-year-old has twice reached the quarter-finals in Melbourne.
Another day, another milestone 🌟
In his 100th Grand Slam match, @carlosalcaraz defeats Moutet 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 to return to the fourth round.@AustralianOpen | #AO26 pic.twitter.com/akcFw0Jjm8
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 23, 2026
Up next for Alcaraz is 19th seed Tommy Paul, who advanced after Alejandro Davidovich Fokina retired with the American leading 6-1, 6-1. The Spaniard called the physio for a left leg issue in the second set. Alcaraz leads Paul 5-2 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
“We have great battles against each other,” Alcaraz said of his clashes with Paul, a 2023 semi-finalist in Melbourne. “It’s always really difficult to play against him. He plays great tennis on hard courts with that flat backhand that he slices a lot, aggressive, great touch. It’s going to be a really interesting one.”
Through three matches this fortnight, Alcaraz is yet to drop a set. Against the lefty Moutet, the Spaniard pummeled the ball off both wings, hammering 30 winners, several of which were passing shots by the net-rushing Frenchman. Moutet showed flashes of his best tennis and produced his own magic with exquisite tweeners and feel around the net, adding a flair of entertainment despite the defeat.
“I thought we were in a drop shot competition,” Alcaraz joked. “Definitely, he won.”
Ousting the sport’s elite is never meant to be easy, but Botic van de Zandschulp has repeatedly shown he possesses the belief, and the game, to trouble the very best on the biggest stages.
The 30-year-old Dutchman will look to tap into that giant-slaying pedigree again on Saturday, when he faces record 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic in the third round at Melbourne Park. It is a daunting assignment, but not an unfamiliar one for Van de Zandschulp, who has beaten ATP No. 1 Club members Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal within the past two years — and holds a recent victory over Djokovic himself.
“It’s always nice to play one of the best of the game. It’s a nice matchup as well, I know I can play well during them and I’ve proved it in the past,” Van de Zandschulp told ATPTour.com in Melbourne. “I know what I’m capable of… It gives you a confidence boost when you see those names in the draw. Of course you are scared, but further into the tournament when I have some matches in, I feel I can beat a lot of players.
“Matches like these against Novak, if you can enjoy it during it, it’s a really nice occasion.”
Van de Zandschulp prevailed in his most recent Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Djokovic last year at Indian Wells, a match he remembers vividly. Entering the main draw as a lucky loser, the Dutchman produced a clinical deciding-set performance to spring the upset.
“I didn’t feel great at that time, but now I am feeling a little bit better tennis-wise,” Van de Zandschulp said, reflecting on their Indian Wells clash. “Hopefully that helps me… Here in Australia, it’s one of his favourite tournaments, one of his favourite courts, so it will be a different test. He was struggling there [in Indian Wells]. The conditions were tough: pretty hot, pretty bouncy.”
Djokovic is far from the only superstar Van de Zandschulp has tested — and toppled — in recent seasons. He stunned Alcaraz in the second round of the 2024 US Open and, two months later, famously brought Nadal’s storied career to a close at the Davis Cup Finals.
Each victory offered a different form of validation, reinforcing his ability not only to match the sport’s elite shot for shot, but also to manage the moment and the magnitude of the occasion.
“Beating Alcaraz over five sets is not an easy task, but beating him 3-0 was something I couldn’t imagine before stepping on court,” Van de Zandschulp said. “[Beating] Rafa was also pretty special because it’s not often in tennis you know who you are going to play a month in advance.
“I found out that it was going to be his last tournament and that we were going to play Spain in the quarters. If he was going to play, I would be the one to play him, so I thought a lot about the match when usually you don’t have time to. That was, mentally, the toughest match for me.”
<img alt=”Rafael Nadal, Botic van de Zandschulp” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2026/01/22/15/18/nadal-botic-davis-cup-2024-1.jpg” />
When Van de Zandschulp walks onto Rod Laver Arena this weekend, it will mark his third consecutive year competing on the iconic stage. He fell to Jannik Sinner and Alex de Minaur in first-round encounters in the past two editions of the hard-court major. Those were experiences that, while bruising, have helped remove the novelty of the occasion.
Now, the Dutchman is back in the Australian Open third round for the first time since 2022, having dropped just one set en route after victories over 27th seed Brandon Nakashima and Shang Juncheng.
“I’m really happy about it. It’s been a while since I won a match here,” said Van de Zandschulp. “The last two years, I had some tough draws with Sinner and De Minaur in the first round. But I’m playing some good tennis again – I started the season pretty well.
“It’s good I already played there [Rod Laver Arena] as it’s nothing new, but it’s still going to be a huge challenge.”
[NO 1 CLUB]Part of that renewed confidence can be traced back to a more settled offseason — a rarity in recent years. With Davis Cup commitments stretching deep into November, Van de Zandschulp has often had limited time to reset physically and mentally.
“The last couple of years, we have played Davis Cup in November, so the offseason has been pretty tough, pretty busy,” he added. “Now I already had three weeks off, five weeks practice, so I think that did me pretty well, especially for the mind, being at home a little bit longer. I really enjoyed my offseason and have started fresh.”
Against Djokovic on his most decorated stage, Van de Zandschulp will once again arrive as the underdog. Yet history suggests that is a role he knows how to embrace.
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During the Australian Open, ATPTour.com will bring fans insight into the leaders of key statistical categories, showing how performances throughout 2025 all added up to successful seasons and the promise of more good times ahead in 2026.
Australian Alex de Minaur was a force on hard courts in 2025, tallying a tour-leading 43 wins and smashing his previous benchmarks on the surface.
One of the fastest players on Tour, De Minaur suffocates his opponents from the baseline with his blistering court coverage, squeaky-clean ballstriking and his relentless tenacity. His grit was on full display at the ATP 500 in Washington, D.C., where he dramatically saved three championship points to edge Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
[NO 1 CLUB]Speaking after his first-round win at the Australian Open, De Minaur said that two tactics to take time away from opponents have underpinned his success on hard courts: flat groundstrokes and playing close to the baseline.
“My shots on both sides are on the flatter side, which means that the ball kind of skids through when it hits the court… if the ball is coming back to your opponent quicker and quicker, it’s not really allowing him to think most of the time,” De Minaur said.
“I have always felt that I have been able to use my speed to retrieve and play defensive, but one of the biggest things that has helped me take that next step is use my speed to take time away from my opponents and that’s where court positioning is super important.
“It’s much harder than if I’m a couple meters behind the baseline, and then my ball is slow and loopy and my opponent has all the time in the world to generate and hit winners past me, especially with the way the guys are hitting the ball nowadays. When they’ve got time, they are crunching the ball. So I’m doing my best not to give my opponents time.”
De Minaur’s Hard-Court Record, Past Three Seasons
| 2025 | 43-17 |
| 2024 | 30-15 |
| 2023 | 36-18 |
De Minaur’s triumph in Washington, D.C. marked his 10th tour-level title, eight of which have come on hard courts. Among his other standout hard-court results in 2025, the 26-year-old reached the quarter-finals at both the Australian Open and US Open. He was a finalist in Rotterdam and a semi-finalist in Beijing and Vienna.
While De Minaur recorded the most hard-court match wins last season, Jannik Sinner boasted the highest winning percentage on the surface (92.9 per cent, 39-3 match record). Sinner won five of his six titles in 2025 on hard courts, including the Australian Open and the Nitto ATP Finals in his home country Italy. De Minaur was fifth in hard-court winning percentage last season behind Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
2025 Hard-Court Winning Percentage
| Player | Win % | Record |
| Jannik Sinner | 92.9 | 39-3 |
| Carlos Alcaraz | 84.4 | 38-7 |
| Novak Djokovic | 78.1 | 25-7 |
| Felix Auger-Aliassime | 73.2 | 41-15 |
| Alex de Minaur | 71.7 | 43-17 |
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