AFP, Melbourne :
Jannik Sinner will try to put a doping scandal behind him when he kicks off his Australian Open defence against Nicolas Jarry, while Aryna Sabalenka’s bid for a hat-trick of titles starts on Sunday against Sloane Stephens.
The first Grand Slam of the year gets under way at Melbourne Park as a 15-day event for the second year running, aimed at cutting down on late-night finishes.
Italian world number one Sinner is hot favourite after a breakthrough 2024 built on the back of his come-from-behind victory over Daniil Medvedev in last year’s final.
It was his maiden Slam crown and he went on to add the US Open, with his overwhelming dominance illustrated by being more than 4,000 ranking points clear of world number two Alexander Zverev.
He has played Chile’s Jarry twice before, winning their last clash in Beijing in September. But he needed to rally from a set down.
“Let’s see what I can do this year,” said the 23-year-old.
“It’s a question that I think none of us can answer. But it’s good to be back here, and we’ll see what the tournament is going to say.”
