“Australian Open is made for him,” said ex-WTA pro Andrea Petkovic on Jannik Sinner, last year, reflecting on the World No.1’s stellar season. One, where he not only clinched the top spot in the ATP rankings, but also won the US Open, the ATP Finals in Turin, and then the Davis Cup for Italy. Not to forget the Australian Open victory as well at the start of the season. His first-ever Grand Slam win was the start of the Italian’s unmatched dominance in 2024. It saw him scalping 73 of his 79 matches! And now, it seems he’s ready to defend his title down under this season. That’s according to a former ATP pro who believes the Fox is a frontrunner in the race to the coveted Australian Open trophy.

Mark Petchey, the former coach of Andy Murray, has ranked Sinner higher than the 24-time Grand Slam-winning Serbian. For the unversed, Djokovic has won the Australian Open 10 times already in his 21-year-long career. On the other hand, the Fox clinched his first AO trophy just last season. So what makes Petchey go with him over the likes of Djoker and even Carlos Alcaraz? “In the men’s draw, it’s wafer thin between the likes of Jannik, Carlos, and Novak,” he said, as reported by Tennis365 on Wednesday. Petchey admitted that the competition is tough between Nole, Alcaraz, and Sinner.

However, in Petchey’s opinion, Jannik Sinner is leading when it comes to having the brightest chance of lifting the trophy in Melbourne. “If pushed, I would go with Sinner again given just how unbelievably solid he’s been, especially over five sets,” said Petchey. But why? Explaining the reason, he said, “Playing his pace of ground shot consistently in that heat over three to four hours is just brutal on the physical side of things for his opponents.” Hence, that’s “a huge asset for him as he takes their legs away with his style of play.”

But Petchey isn’t the only tennis expert to pick Sinner as the title favorite in Melbourne. Even former German tennis player Andrea Petkovic believes the World No. 1 may win the Major once again!

Former German WTA legend Andrea Petkovic backs Jannik Sinner ahead of Australian Open 2025

During an episode of the Rennae Stubbs podcast, in December 2024, Andrea Petkovic expressed her honest thoughts on Jannik Sinner’s chances at the upcoming Australian Open. When Stubbs began the conversation by saying “Jannik Sinner’s overwhelming favorite”, Petkovic added, “For me too! I think the Australian Open is made for him. In terms of surface, in terms of ball.”

Per Petkovic, the only concern for Jannik Sinner might be the extreme conditions down under. In Melbourne, temperatures can rise up beyond 40 degrees sometimes and it might be difficult for the Italian to deal with the heat. But Petkovic still backed him as a favorite. “I think he used to struggle there before he got incredibly physically fit and in shape but even the temperature doesn’t seem to affect him,” she said.

Petkovic been a strong supporter of Sinner’s on-court style. Even when his playing methods were termed boring, post his US Open win in September, she stood by his side. “For anybody who finds his (Sinner’s) tennis boring, I would urge you to try and see him live if you can,” she said, as reported by Tennis Infinity on September 10.

“The way he moves, always in perfect balance, the way his body is leaned slightly forward as if going down a slope on skis, is a thing of beauty. No matter how hard you hit at him, he never falls out of his equilibrium,” Petkovic concluded.

Do you think Sinner will be able to successfully defend his Australian Open title this month? Let us know in the comments below.