For the first time since 2013, the top four men’s seeds have swept into the Australian Open semi-finals, setting the stage for a high-stakes battle between the established order and the new “Big Two.”
Defending champion Jannik Sinner enters his semi-final as the heavy favorite, having won his last five matches against Novak Djokovic.
While Sinner has looked “phenomenal” despite a brief health scare earlier in the week, questions haunt the 38-year-old Djokovic. The Serb is struggling with gruesome foot blisters and a lack of match rhythm following an injury-shortened quarter-final.
World number one Carlos Alcaraz is one win away from a shot at becoming the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam. Standing in his way is Alexander Zverev, who holds a balanced 6-6 head-to-head record against the Spaniard.
While Alcaraz is playing near-perfect tennis, Zverev’s giant serve remains the ultimate wildcard.
With Alcaraz and Sinner having split the past eight Grand Slams, Friday’s matches represent the last chance for the field to prevent another dominant duo from locking down the sport’s biggest stage.
