Everything that Jannik Sinner means to the summit of men's tennis could be temporarily wiped away in just a few months.

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 defended his Australian Open crown with a near-flawless display in the men's final Sunday, defeating second seed Alexander Zverev in straight sets 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 to claim his third career Grand Slam title.