Italian tennis prodigy Jannik Sinner has cemented his name further into the history books of tennis by successfully defending his Australian Open title. The 23-year-old defeated world No. 2 Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 to claim his third Grand Slam title and extend his dominance on hard courts with a 21-match win streak.
A Masterclass in Precision
Sinner was a masterclass in precision and adaptability. Coming out against Zverev, who is arguably the sport’s greatest server, what made Sinner’s performance incomparable was his unparalleled consistency and tactical genius. The Italian correctly read Zverev all game long, especially getting into and out of tricky drop situations, which simply led to baseline rallies that never ended. Sadly for him, that didn’t lead to a single break point—something Zverev has never enjoyed in a Grand Slam match to date.
Reflecting on his victory, Sinner mentioned that defending the title added pressure but emphasised his development as a player. “This time, I understood that every day is different. You might not feel 100%, but it’s about handling the situation,” he said. His development can be seen both in his performances and in his resilience on the field.
Joining the Elite
With this win, Sinner joins a very exclusive set of tennis elites—he is now alongside Bjorn Borg, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal—players who won their first three Grand Slam finals. He’s also the first man since Nadal to defend his maiden major title.
Whereas on the hard courts, Sinner reigns supreme, he focuses on other surfaces to conquer. “I want to be a complete player,” he said, saying that he needs to do much better on clay and grass surfaces, where he has his best semifinal finishes.
The defeat marked Zverev’s third Grand Slam final loss. He accepted defeat and praised Sinner, who he said reminded him of a “prime Novak Djokovic” with the dominance he showed on the court. “I don’t want to end my career as the best player to never win a Grand Slam,” Zverev said.
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As Sinner takes his latest victory in, the world will be eager to see whether that rising star could expand his dominance on all court surfaces. Certain of the many things; still, one truth is only about to get larger: Sinner’s legacy.
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