Australian Open 2026: Ben Shelton vs. Jannik Sinner Preview, Prediction, and Live Stream Details
Jannik Sinner leads Ben Shelton 8-1 in their head-to-head record on tour.
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Ben Shelton, Jannik Sinner (Images via X)
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Ben Shelton is in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the third consecutive time in his career. The American star has found life easy playing at Melbourne Park, but he has only gotten past the quarterfinals of the Grand Slam tournament once in his career. He will aim to make it through for the second time by beating defending champion Jannik Sinner.
Sinner is seeking to make history at the Australian Open by winning the championship three consecutive times, only his rival Novak Djokovic has done that in the Open Era. The Italian star has been playing great tennis apart from a minor struggle he had in the third round. He will be eager to beat Shelton for the ninth consecutive time on tour.
Ben Shelton vs. Jannik Sinner: Match Details
- Venue: Rod Laver Arena
- Time: TBD
- Round: Quarter-finals
- Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
- Date: January 28, 2026
- Tournament: Australian Open 2026
- Match: Ben Shelton vs. Jannik Sinner
Ben Shelton vs. Jannik Sinner: Match Preview
Ben Shelton ended the 2025 season by earning his place in the ATP Finals for the first time in his career. The American star at one time broke into the top 5 before finishing the year in the top 10, and he’s currently American No.1. After a poor start to the 2026 season at the Adelaide International, he regrouped at the Australian Open.
He defeated Ugo Humbert, Dane Sweeny, and Rolex Shanghai Masters champion Valentin Vacherot in straight sets in the first three rounds. It was Casper Ruud, who handed him his first set loss of the tournament in the fourth round, but Shelton responded by winning three straight sets to close out the match.
On the other hand, Jannik Sinner won four of his last five tournaments on tour to wrap up the 2025 season as World No.2. h He didn’t feature in any warm-up tournament ahead of the Australian, only taking part in an exhibition match against Carlos Alcaraz in Seoul, South Korea. However, that wasn’t much of a concern as he kicked off his Australian Open title defense with a two-set lead against Hugo Gaston, who retired in the third set.
After overcoming James Duckworth, he dropped his first set in this year’s Australian Open against Eliot Spizzirri, but Sinner responded by winning three straight sets to close out the match. The 24-year-old then went on to beat his fellow compatriot Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-3, 7-6(3) in the fourth round.
Ben Shelton vs. Jannik Sinner: Match Prediction
Jannik Sinner and Ben Shelton have faced each other nine times in their careers. Shelton won their first meet back at the 2023 ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Shanghai, but since then Sinner has gone on to win eight consecutive meetings against the American. Their last match-up was at the ATP Finals in November, with the Italian star winning in straight sets.
However, only a few people have faced Sinner as often as Shelton has, which should be an invaluable experience ahead of their quarter-finals clash in Melbourne. He won a set against Sinner when they met at last year’s Australian Open in the semi-finals and once again at the 2025 Wimbledon quarter-finals.
In their last meeting in Turin, Sinner won both sets in tiebreaks. Currently, Shelton holds a 79 percent win rate at the Australian Open, which is his best win rate of the four Grand Slams, while Sinner has an 85 percent win rate. The match will be decided by slim margins as Shelton will be eager to beat Sinner for just the second time in his career.
Match Prediction: Jannik Sinner to win in five sets.
Ben Shelton vs. Jannik Sinner: Live Stream Details
- India – SONY
- USA – ESPN, Tennis Channel
- UK – TNT Sports
- Canada – TSN, RDS
- Australia – Nine, Stan. Sports
- New Zealand– SKY
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