The quarterfinals of the Australian Open continue into Wednesday morning for American viewers. One of the biggest matches of the tournament so far is the battle of two of the world’s best players, Ben Shelton and Jannik Sinner. The match begins at 3:00. a.m. ET on 1/28/26.
This is my best bet to target on DraftKings Sportsbook for the Shelton vs. Sinner match.
Ben Shelton vs. Jannik Sinner Preview
Jannik Sinner is on a mission for his third consecutive Australian Open title. Despite trailing Carlos Alcaraz by two titles in total Grand Slam count, Jannik Sinner has been the most dominant force in tennis over the past two years. Sinner has made five straight Grand Slam finals with three wins over that stretch. In both of the finals he lost, he was facing Alcaraz. Sinner has not lost to anybody but Alcaraz in a Grand Slam since the 2024 Wimbledon quarterfinal against Daniil Medvedev. That is why he is an overwhelming -1100 favorite to win this match on DraftKings Sportsbook. Sinner has been in total control through this tournament, only dropping one set through his first four matches. This match against Shelton will be his toughest matchup so far, but he should still cruise to the semifinals.
Ben Shelton has emerged as the best American man in tennis. Shelton is in the quarterfinals in Australia, while Fritz got knocked out in the previous round. Even prior to this tournament, Shelton surpassed Fritz in the ATP rankings, rising to No. 7 in the world. This comes a year after Shelton made an incredible run to the Australian Open semifinals, where he lost to Jannik Sinner. Shelton has yet to make it to a Grand Slam final in his young career. Like every other man in the world over the past couple of years, he has simply not been able to get through Sinner and Alcaraz. A win in this match would be by far the biggest victory of Ben Shelton’s career.
Ben Shelton vs. Jannik Sinner Pick, Best Bet
My best bet for this match is for Jannik Sinner to defeat Ben Shelton in straight sets. Sinner and Shelton have faced off nine times since the beginning of 2023. Shelton won the first-ever match between the two at the ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai. Since then, Sinner has not only won all eight matchups against Shelton, but Shelton has not won a single set. Sinner has won an incredible 19 consecutive sets against Shelton. Shelton is playing great tennis, but Sinner is just on an entirely different level at the moment. That perfect run includes last year’s Australian Open semifinal, in which Sinner defeated Shelton 7-6, 6-2, 6-2. Until Shelton proves he can compete with Sinner, it’s hard to make any bet other than for Sinner to win in straight sets. Sinner seems destined for another Grand Slam final showdown with Carlos Alcaraz for the fifth consecutive major.
