Jannik Sinner advanced to the Australian Open semi-finals with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Ben Shelton on Wednesday. The two-time defending champion extended his Melbourne winning streak to 19 matches and set up a blockbuster clash with Novak Djokovic. Despite some fitness concerns, Sinner dominated the eighth seed in their one-sided rivalry.
Jannik Sinner maintained his unbeaten run in Melbourne since 2023 by brushing aside Ben Shelton in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open 2026. The Italian second seed, bidding for a third consecutive title, never faced serious pressure, securing a straight-sets win after two hours and 23 minutes on Rod Laver Arena. Sinner improved his head-to-head record against the American to 9-1, having now won all four of their major encounters.
Shelton, who had dropped just one set en route to his third Australian Open quarter-final, struggled to find rhythm against Sinner's baseline control. The world No. 7 generated four break points but converted none, finishing with 34 unforced errors compared to Sinner's 16. Sinner, rock-solid on serve with five aces, broke decisively in each set, including a double fault from Shelton at 15-40 in the third. He also notched an 18-4 winners-to-unforced-errors edge in the opener.
Post-match, Sinner praised his opponent's growth: "It is very tough to play against Ben. He has a huge, huge serve and I feel like he is improving so much, year after year." He added respect for his next challenge: "These are the moments you practise for... We are lucky to still have Novak here, playing incredible tennis at his age." Sinner leads Djokovic 6-4 overall and has won their last five meetings, including semi-final victories at the Australian Open in 2024 and other majors in 2025.
Shelton remained optimistic despite the loss. "I'm getting better and better and becoming a lot less limited," he said. The 23-year-old, a semi-finalist at the 2023 US Open and 2025 Australian Open, highlighted his addiction to the sport's pressure: "There's no better feeling." His tournament included the fastest serve of the event at 232 km/h.
This marks Sinner's sixth consecutive Grand Slam semi-final, joining an elite group including Djokovic and Federer. He has won all 18 of his major matches against Americans and holds a 6-2 record versus Top 10 players at hard-court Slams.
