India, Jan. 21 -- Jannik Sinner did not command much attention as the 2026 season's first Grand Slam stop arrived in Melbourne. Carlos Alcaraz's bid for a career Grand Slam without Juan Carlos Ferrero, Novak Djokovic's ninth attempt at a historic 25th major, and Roger Federer's farewell exhibition drew far more traction ahead of the Australian Open.

By the end of the opening round on Tuesday, however, Sinner had firmly stormed into the conversation, not just for his return to winning ways at Rod Laver Arena, but also for already having Melbourne buzzing with "finalist" talk.

Slotted into the bottom-most section of the draw, the two-time defending champion was the last of the top seeds to take the court in the opening round of the year's...