Jannik Sinner’s title defense at the 2026 Australian Open began in an unusual manner, with his opponent, Hugo Gaston, withdrawing from the match mid-way due to an injury. After the match, the former World No. 1 sent a supportive message to the Frenchman.
Sinner is a two-time defending champion at the Melbourne Major, having won the title in 2024 and 2025 by defeating Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev in the finals, respectively.
Jannik Sinner Sends Message to Hugo Gaston After He Retired From Australian Open 1R Match
Sinner is seeded second at the 2026 Australian Open, and he started his campaign against Gaston in the first round. He was leading the match, winning the first two sets 6-2, 6-1. Before the third set, Gaston called for the doctor and subsequently withdrew from the match.
After the match, Sinner took to social media to share a series of pictures from his first-round match at the Melbourne Major, including a picture with Gaston. He wished the Frenchman a “speedy recovery” and expressed his happiness to be back on the court.
“Not the way you want to win a match, wishing Hugo a speedy recovery. From my side, I’m happy to be back on court, a very special place for me ????????,” Sinner captioned his Instagram post.
In response to Sinner’s post, Gaston reshared it on social media, expressing gratitude for the Italian’s “kind words” and wishing him the best for the rest of the tournament.
“Thanks @janniksin for the kind words. It means a lot ???????? I wish you all the best ????????,” Gaston captioned his Instagram story.
This year, Sinner will be looking to become just the second man in the Open Era to win three consecutive Australian Open titles, following Novak Djokovic, who has achieved this feat twice in his career.
Who Will Jannik Sinner Face at the 2026 Australian Open 2R?
After Gaston withdrew from their first-round match at the 2026 Australian Open, Sinner advanced to the second round, where he will take on wild card James Duckworth.
In addition to competing in singles at the Melbourne Major, Duckworth is also participating in the doubles event alongside Cruz Hewitt. They will be up against the 10th-seeded pair of Yuki Bhambri and André Göransson in the first round.
Sinner and Duckworth have met three times on the ATP Tour, with the former World No. 1 winning two of those encounters. Their most recent match was in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Sofia Open, which Sinner won with a scoreline of 7-6(4), 6-4. Sinner then went on to defeat Gaël Monfils in the final to claim the title.
The winner of the second-round match between Sinner and Duckworth at the 2026 Australian Open will advance to face either Eliot Spizzirri or qualifier Wu Yibing in the third round of the tournament.