And just as Djokovic had a couple of hurdles by the names of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to deal with, Sinner is not alone among the newest generation of tennis stars. His top rival at this point is Carlos Alcaraz, who has four Slam victories at age 21 — and won all three matches he played against Sinner in 2024.

Jannik Sinner, right, of Italy holds the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup after defeating Alexander Zverev of Germany in the men’s singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

In an interview with 'Sky Sport Italy' after the AO final, former ATP ace Ivan Ljubicic analyzed Sinner's triumph in detail: "The difference between him and the other players has become even clearer. I believe that this victory in Australia will give him further confidence for the rest of the season."