Jannik Sinner’s only challenge on his way to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open did not come in the form of any particular opponent.
That story could change on Wednesday.
Bad weather almost knocked out the two-time defending champion in the third round. On Wednesday, the heat should not be a problem; now it’s the player on the other side of the net who poses the threat.
Although Sinner dominates his head-to-head series with Ben Shelton 8-1, the American’s heavy-hitting game makes him a threat on any given day. Shelton was exactly that in their very first meeting, when the American pulled off a 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) upset at the 2023 Shanghai Masters. From then on, however, it was all Sin. The Italian’s eight-match winning streak included 17 consecutive sets, although Shelton at least managed to force tiebreakers in seven of the 17. They just squared off a few months ago at the Nitto ATP Finals, where Sinner won 6-3, 7-6 (3).
This also marks a rematch of the 2025 Aussie Open semifinals, where Sinner secured a 7-6(2), 6-2, 6-2 victory on his way to a second straight title.
Shelton, however, looks like a much more complete player 12 months later. The 23-year-old has risen to world No. 7 and would almost certainly be higher if not for the shoulder injury he suffered at the US Open. He has been a consistent force especially at Grand Slams. In 2025, Shelton’s only non-retirement loss before the quarterfinals came against Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round at Roland Garros. The former NCAA singles champion finds himself back in the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park following convincing wins over Ugo Humbert, Dane Sweeny, Valentin Vacherot, and Casper Ruud. Shelton is now 15-3 in the event.
Sinner came agonizingly close to exiting the tournament on Saturday, when he was in the same spot with Eliot Spizzirri, in the break for the third time, and was caught on both hands and legs. But when the heat rule went into effect, the roof of Rod Laver Arena was closed, and the rest is history. Sinner was a completely different player and got the job done against Spizzirri 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
World No. 2 also advanced with straight defeats of Hugo Gaston, James Duckworth, and Luciano Darderi. Sinner is on an 18-match winning streak in Melbourne and is 35-3 in his last 38 sets dating back to the 2024 final against Daniil Medvedev.
This sounds like it’s going to be a typical Sinner-Shelton outcome, where the underdog throws everything but the kitchen sink at his enemies to come up short in moments of pressure. A tiebreaker or two should be expected, but Sinner will likely have the upper hand.
Choose: Sinner in 3
