Another Australian Open has showcased an impressive performance of hard-court tennis from Jannik Sinner.
At Melbourne Park, the Italian athlete successfully defended his title with an impressive performance against Alexander Zverev in the championship match to a decisive victory of 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3. With this victory, Sinner made history as the first Italian player to win three Grand Slam singles titles. He has also extended his winning streak to 21 matches at hard-court major tournaments, following his successes in Melbourne and at the US Open in 2024.
“The first one is more kind of relief. It’s different,” reflected Sinner, when asked how his latest triumph compared to his maiden major title run at the Australian Open a year ago. “It gives you the [knowledge] that you can do it if you play some great tennis. The second one, this one, maybe you enjoy it a bit more because it’s different.”
Zverev has unfortunately finished as the runner-up in his third Grand Slam final.
“You are the best player in the world by far,” acknowledged Zverev at the trophy ceremony. “I was hoping that I could be more of a competitor today but you are just too good, it is as simple as that.”
Sinner has lost only two sets in his seven matches this year in Melbourne and has dropped only seven sets overall during his three major title victories to date. This demonstrates the exceptional dominance of the current No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings on the largest stages in tennis, particularly on hard courts.
“But every Grand Slam, or every tournament you win, or you go far, it has its own story,” Sinner added. “You have to pass difficulties, like I did also this year here, and this makes it very, very special.”
Since Novak Djokovic’s last victory at a Grand Slam tournament, the 2023 US Open, Jannik Sinner has emerged as a formidable competitor, defeating Djokovic in all three of their encounters. Sinner has built an impressive résumé that compares favorably to many Hall of Fame athletes in tennis. Among his accomplishments are two Australian Open titles, a US Open title, an ATP Finals championship, the highest number of wins on tour, over $20 million in prize money, and 33 weeks at the world No. 1 ranking. Remarkably, he is still only 23 years old.
Photo/JannikSinner/X
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