MELBOURNE: 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.

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. “This is my main goal for this year,” Alcaraz, who gets under way in the night match on Rod Laver Arena against home player Adam Walton, said. “I’m just hungry for the title, hungry to do a really good result here.”

He has met the 79th-ranked Walton once before, at Queen’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’s Jannik Sinner the two-time defending champion and in peak physical condition.

Sinner, who beat Alexander Zverev in last year’s final and went on to win Wimbledon, opens against France’s Hugo Gaston, who he has met twice before but not since 2021.

“We worked a lot physically,” Sinner said of his pre-season. “The physical part now is so, so important because the matches can get very long and also very intense. “You have to be at the top physical level as long as you can.”

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’s Pedro Martinez.

GRAND SLAM RECORD

A defiant Djokovic is adamant he can still beat any player on his day but at 38 the Serb is no longer focusing on the Grand Slam record.

“There has been a lot of talk about the 25th, but I try to focus myself on what I have achieved, not what I’m possibly achieving. I mean, I hope it comes to that, but 24 is also not a bad number,” he told reporters at Melbourne Park on Saturday.

“I have to appreciate that and remind myself of the amazing career I had. And also release some of that unnecessary pressure.”

Zverev, in the same half of the draw as Alcaraz, is also in action on Sunday against Canadian Gabriel Diallo.

World number 10 Alexander Bub­lik takes on American Jenson Brooksby.

Sabalenka will be bidding to continue her incredible record in hard court Grand Slam tournaments when she begins her campaign against Frenchwoman Rakotomanga Rajaonah, preceding Alcaraz onto Rod Laver Arena.

The Belarusian world number one has reached the final of the last six majors she has played on the surface, winning four of those.

She enters the competition in fine form after retaining her Brisbane International title this month without losing a set, and should have little trouble when she takes on the 118th-ranked Rakotomanga Rajaonah.

Sabalenka went into last year’s final aiming to become the first woman since Martina Hingis to win three consecutive Australian Opens but was was stunned by Madison Keys.

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.

Sabalenka’s chief rival, six-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek is, like Alcaraz, angling for a career Grand Slam in Melbourne. She will begin against Chinese qualifier Yuan Yue.

VENUS WILLIAMS IS BACK

Seventh seed Jasmine Paolini, 12th seed Elena Svitolina and veteran Venus Williams are also in action on Sunday.

Venus, a two-time Australian Open singles finalist, returns to the tournament for the first time since 2021 after receiving a wildcard.

The 45-year-old faces Olga Danilovic in the first round, where she is set to become the oldest woman to feature in the Australian Open main draw by surpassing Japan’s Kimiko Date, who was 44 when she bowed out in the first round in 2015.

Williams has endured a poor start to the season, losing to Magda Linette in the first round in Auckland and to Tatjana Maria in her opening match at the Hobart International.

Despite her defeats, she said on said Saturday she was “up for the challenge”.

“I’m super, super grateful for the opportunity from Tennis Australia. Grateful for the opportunity to play in front of the fans,” she said. “I have just received so much support in the tournaments leading up, walking around the city and everything. My hope is to play my best.”

A five-time Wimbledon champion, Williams was an Australian Open singles finalist in 2003 and 2017 and won the doubles title four times alongside sister Serena.

“This is the greatest place on Earth to play,” she said. “I have had amazing memories here. I love challenges, so I’m up for the challenge.”

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2026