The two best men's players in the world are reconfiguring the sport before their opponents' eyes. They don't know what to do about it

Carlos Alcaraz was in fine form as he cruised to a first-round win at the Australian Open, but it was his comments on Jannik Sinner which drew attention.

When Carlos Alcaraz is on court for a training session, perhaps working on his newly revamped service motion, he’s doing so to buttress a game already good enough to claim four Grand Slam titles

Carlos Alcaraz has confessed that Jannik Sinner lives “in his head” when practising. The young champions have already formed an exciting rivalry and split the Grand Slams between them last year. They could now take it to the next level at the Australian Open, where they are on a collision course for their first Major final showdown.

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are among the top Australian Open favorites. Two youngsters conquered all four Major titles in 2024, and they want more in the new season! Jannik and Carlos shared the same side of the court during Sunday's practice session.

Carlos Alcaraz spoke about the change in mentality he has when facing Jannik Sinner and acknowledged that he draws motivation from seeing his great rival win titles consistently.

FILE - Italy’s Jannik Sinner returns the ball to Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor during the Davis Cup final tennis match between Netherlands and Italy at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)

The top-ranked Sinner, who is the defending champion at Melbourne Park, and No. 3 Alcaraz are coming off a 2024 season in which they each won two Grand Slam titles.