The reigning champion advanced comfortably in Melbourne and reached a milestone his biggest rival has yet to match.
Jannik Sinner opened his 2026 Australian Open title defence in emphatic fashion on Tuesday, moving into the second round after Hugo Gaston was forced to retire injured. The Italian was already in full control of the match when the Frenchman pulled out.
The straight-sets progress did more than book Sinner a meeting with James Duckworth. It also placed him alongside some of the most dominant players in modern Australian Open history, underlining just how formidable he has become on the Melbourne Park hard courts.
Sinner matches elite Australian Open streaks
According to OptaAce, Jannik Sinner has now won 15 consecutive men’s singles matches at the Australian Open, making him only the fourth player since 2000 to reach that mark.
The only others to achieve the feat are Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic. Agassi recorded 26 straight wins across multiple appearances between 2000 and 2004, lifting the trophy twice in that span. Federer followed with a 19-match streak from 2006 to 2008, winning back-to-back titles before his run ended in the semi-finals.
Djokovic remains the benchmark, compiling 33 consecutive wins between 2019 and 2024. That run included three successive titles, a missed edition in 2022, and a triumphant return in 2023, before his streak was halted by Sinner himself in the 2024 semi-finals.
Duckworth next as Sinner eyes deeper run
Sinner will now turn his attention to James Duckworth, holding a narrow 2–1 head-to-head advantage over the Australian. Their first meeting came at the 2020 Cologne Open, where Sinner claimed a comfortable victory, before Duckworth responded with a win at the Canadian Open a year later. The Italian prevailed again in their most recent encounter at the 2021 Sofia Open.
Should Sinner progress, he is projected to face either Eliot Spizzirri or Wu Yibing in the third round, with an in-form Sebastián Báez a possible opponent in the fourth. With momentum already building and history continuing to follow him, Sinner’s pursuit of another Australian Open title is firmly on track.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
