Preview: Australian Open: Jannik Sinner vs. Hugo Gaston - prediction, form, head-to-head

Jannik Sinner begins defence of his Australian Open title on the men’s draw by battling Hugo Gaston on the hard court in Melbourne in his opening match.

The reigning two-time champion is coming off a November victory over top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz in the Nitto ATP Finals, while Gaston lost his qualifying match at the Brisbane Open this month in three sets versus Matteo Arnaldi.

Match preview

He may be seeded second, but given the momentum he has right now, Jannik Sinner will have little doubt that he can claim his third straight Aussie Open crown.

The Italian has gone on to win his previous three singles events on tour, with all three of those victories coming on the hard court.

He did not lose a single set in any of his last 10 singles matches en route to claiming three straight singles titles on the hard court to end 2025.

Not since 2021 has he been knocked out of this event in the opening round, making it beyond his first match in 17 straight major tournaments.

Last year, the four-time Grand Slam champion won 87% of his service games on the hard court, while also winning 76% of his first serve points.

Sinner often dug himself out of holes while on serve, saving 70% of his break points last year on the hard court.

Hugo Gaston is hoping that a new year can spell a fresh start for him, particularly in Grand Slam tournaments, which he struggled in last year.

The Frenchman exited the last two major singles tournaments of 2025 in the opening round but has made it to round two in his previous two appearances at the Australian Open.

His defeat in Brisbane earlier this year was his first in his previous four singles events, losing in three sets to Arnaldi.

The previous time he went on to win a singles match on tour after losing the opening set was in the final of the 2025 Challenger tournament in Brest, where he defeated Eliot Spizzirri in three sets.

Last year, he managed to win only 58% of his first serves on this surface, but won 71% of his service games throughout 2025.

That said, he did not fare well in one area while off serve last year, winning just 25% of his return games on the hard-court surface.

Head To Head

Open 13 Provence (2021) - Second Round: Sinner wins 6-4 6-1

Miami Open (2021) - Second Round: Sinner wins 6-2 6-2

The first time these two met in Gaston’s home country in 2021, Sinner had his return game working well, converting four of his break point opportunities to take the victory.

Later that year in Miami, the Italian won 81% of his first serves, while his counterpart won only 67% of his, which, in the end, proved decisive.