Tim Henman Gives Two Reasons Why Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner ‘Will Not Play’ in Australian Open Final

Jannik Sinner trails 6-10 in the head-to-head matchups with Carlos Alcaraz, last meeting him at the 2025 ATP Finals.

Tim Henman Gives Two Reasons Why Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner ‘Will Not Play’ in Australian Open Final

Jannik Sinner, Tim Henman (circle), Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ, Daily Mail)

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Carlos Alcaraz will be entering the 2026 Australian Open without coach Juan Carlos Ferrero by his side as the two split last December, sending shock waves across the tennis world. Because of Ferrero’s absence, Alcaraz would be distracted during the two weeks at Melbourne Park, believes former British No.1 Tim Henman.

Henman also believes physical issues could prevent a fourth consecutive Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner Grand Slam final. The World No.1 and the World No.2 met for the first time in a Major final last year’s Roland Garros, which Alcaraz won but couldn’t complete the three-peat at Wimbledon. Later, he stopped the 24-year-old from defending his US Open crown.

In Melbourne, both Sinner and Alcaraz will be chasing history. Another win will make the Italian the second man after Novak Djokovic to win three consecutive trophies in Melbourne. Alcaraz will become the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam if he wins the title, surpassing Rafael Nadal, who achieved this at 24.

If I were going to give two scenarios as to why Alcaraz and Sinner will not play in the Australian Open final, the first one is injury. There’s no doubt that in the first tournament of the year, any player can be vulnerable going into best-of-five-set matches. That is one element that both Alcaraz and Sinner have to overcome, and I hope they will.

Tim Henman told TNT Sports

While Sinner went past Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev in the previous two finals, the Spaniard has yet to advance to the semifinals. In the previous two seasons, he lost to Zverev (2024) and to Djokovic (2025) in four sets in the quarterfinals.

The second variable only applies to Alcaraz, and that is not having Juan Carlos Ferrero in his corner, and whether that will affect him psychologically, whether that will distract him with his concentration on the court. Only time will tell. I was very surprised that they finished their partnership. And I will be really interested to hear what Alcaraz actually says himself.

Tim Henman added

Ferrero and Alcaraz split because of failed contract negotiations. The tennis community wants to see how the 22-year-old handles his career without the 2003 French Open champion at least this year, but Mats Wilander doesn’t think Ferrero’s absence will affect his ex-protege much.

Last year, Sinner and Alcaraz clashed with each other six times, with the latter losing only at Wimbledon and the ATP Finals. The tournaments where he secured victories were: the Italian Open, French Open, Cincinnati Masters, and the US Open.

Lorenzo Musetti explains why he has struggled to catch up to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

Lorenzo Musetti is in the same age bracket as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, and sure, he is a talented youngster, but at the moment, he has a lot of catching up to do with the two aforementioned Grand Slam winners. During his interview on the Tennis Insider Club podcast, the 23-year-old explained the reason why he has not yet reached Sinner and Alcaraz’s level.

Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz
Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ, Carlos Alcaraz 4K)

I was struggling to have consistency. I always had great results and then many first rounds [exits] against players, who, with more motivation, more focus, I could beat them, not even playing that well. I lost so many matches throughout my career with that feeling at the end, and that’s probably the only regret that I have. I’m still working on that today.

Musetti recently participated in the Hong Kong Open, and once again, he suffered defeat in the final. Alexander Bublik denied him the win in straight sets.

It was his seventh consecutive defeat since winning his career’s second title at the 2022 Tennis Napoli Cup. Musetti, who is a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist, has never reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, which will commence on January 18.

Also read: Former World No.1 Tips Jannik Sinner to Win the Australian Open Despite Carlos Alcaraz Challenge