The draw of any Grand Slam builds a narrative, but some storylines are bigger than individual matchups. Here's what to watch in Melbourne

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.

Alcaraz won the French Open and Wimbledon titles last year while Sinner claimed the Australian Open and U.S. Open trophies.

MELBOURNE – Carlos Alcaraz said on Jan 11 that his burgeoning rivalry with Jannik Sinner brought out the best in him, with the Spanish star driven by winning more Grand Slam titles and toppling the Italian as world No. 1.

Alcaraz is already the youngest man in history to win grand slams on the three different surfaces, and he added a second Wimbledon title to his French Open and US Open triumphs in July. The Australian Open is what is missing, with the opening grand slam of the year the tournament where Alcaraz has had the least success so far in his career.

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. Credit: AP/Manu Fernandez