Andy Roddick reveals one thing that could stop Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner’s dominance at Australian Open 2026

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have combined to win all the major titles in the last two years. Sinner won the 2025 Australian Open, and he, along with the Spaniard, will once again be the favorites to win the title.

On Tuesday’s episode of his podcast, former ATP star Andy Roddick shared what he believes could be a challenge for both of them in their potential deep run at the tournament in Melbourne. Rather than naming any player, Roddick said harsh weather conditions could prove to be a big challenge for both of these top-ranked stars.

“If you get on the wrong side of that heat in Australia, I think Sinner has shown that, if anything, the heat can get to him a touch, right? Whether it’s Cincy, whether it’s Shanghai and cramps,” Roddick said (27:12). “We are absolutely nitpicking Carlos also, with not knowing how to navigate the three-out-of-five. He went through full-body cramps at the French Open.

“I think the single biggest factor is going to be conditions. If they get one of those days where they feel like they’re playing in a hair dryer, I think that is going to be the biggest thing, maybe not necessarily matchups, and you know they can cover up most of Earth.”

Sinner won the 2025 Australian Open by beating Alexander Zverev, who got a walkover after Novak Djokovic chose to retire. The Serb himself is in declining stages of his career, having lost both to Sinner and Alcaraz in the matchups during the 2025 Grand Slam events. As such, there is hardly anyone who could prove to be a decisive challenge for both stars.

Former ATP star picks challenger for Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

The major point of discussion among tennis circles is about who can stand up against both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Former tennis star Mike Petchey picked Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime as a potential player who could make the World No. 1 and 2 work hard. Petchey highlighted the Canadian’s increased maturity and immense skills behind the choice.

“I’m going to choose Félix Auger-Aliassime,” Petchey said via Tennis Channel. “I like how he’s matured over the last three or four months, I like how he played at the US Open, and he has some formidable weapons. When I look at Jannik and Carlos, I think that if you don’t have enough power, they’ll beat you every time.”

Auger-Aliassime reached the semifinal of both the ATP Finals and the US Open. However, he suffered a loss both times at the hands of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, respectively.