Jannik Sinner wasted little time securing his place in the Australian Open third round.
The two-time defending champion defeated James Duckworth 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 at the Rod Laver Arena; just two days after joining Novak Djokovic and Andre Agassi in an elite group.
The Italian star rarely looked troubled against Duckworth, serving 18 aces on his way to victory.
Sinner, who made a technical change ahead of the Australian Open, will face American player Eliot Spizzirri in the third round.
After defeating Duckworth, the 23-year-old discussed an area of his game that requires improvement in future matches.
Who would win this legendary showdown?
Jannik Sinner says he needs to improve his serve
Speaking to reporters in his post-match press conference, Sinner discussed a need to improve his serve, despite putting in an impressive serving performance against Duckworth.
He said: “It depends. Tennis is a percentage game. You have to understand what you play, where is the highest percentage where you can win the point, then you go for it in important moments.You also have to be quite brave the to change up at times that you’re not always doing the same.
“The serve is something I need to work on, improve on. Some days like today I serve well. There are days where I struggle a little bit more.
“But it’s part of the process I am in. I’m aiming for trying to serve always better and better. It’s both.
“Percentage… Also having 60-plus percentage of first serves, or at times you need to risk a little bit more also the second serve, trying to mix up. Every server has a different mentality.”
Sinner served superbly against Duckworth, winning 81 per cent of his first-serve points and 72 per cent of his second-serve points.
Sinner struggled with his serve during his loss in the 2025 US Open final to Carlos Alcaraz. However, the Italian has significantly improved his output in the months following, rarely looking fazed when serving in the biggest moments.
Who is Jannik Sinner’s next opponent?
Eliot Spizzirri, Jannik Sinner’s next opponent, has enjoyed an impressive run at the 2026 Australian Open.
The American, 24, began his campaign by stunning Joao Fonseca; a player who received advice from Carlos Alcaraz before the tournament.
The American star, who recently achieved a career-high ranking of 85, has won two ATP Challenger titles and three ITF titles.
Who do you think will retire with more Grand Slam titles?
Spizzirri made his Grand Slam main-draw debut at the 2024 US Open, where he was defeated by compatriot Alex Michelsen in the first round.
A year later, Spizzirri won his first Grand Slam match in a main draw, defeating Stefan Dostanic in straight sets. He then lost in the second round to Luciano Darderi.
Spizzirri has tripled his total number of Grand Slam match wins at the Australian Open, and is a player Jannik Sinner will need to be wary of heading into their contest later this week.
