MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Jannik Sinner’s prowess was on full display as he elegantly outmaneuvered and outclassed Alexander Zverev in a commanding 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 triumph on Sunday, securing his second consecutive Australian Open title at just 23 years old.
Let’s examine the stats: Sinner faced no break points, racked up 10 of his own, and dominated with a 27-13 advantage in long rallies. Not to mention he unleashed 32 winners compared to Zverev’s 25 while keeping his unforced errors significantly lower at 27 against Zverev’s 45. At the net, Sinner emerged victorious in 10 of 13 encounters, whereas Zverev managed just 14 of 27, often left grasping at Sinner’s astonishing passing shots.
And the respect from Zverev didn’t go unnoticed during the trophy presentation, as he admitted, “You’re the best player in the world, by far. I was hoping to be more competitive today, but you’re just too good. It’s as simple as that.”
Zverev, currently ranked No. 2, recognizes Sinner’s reign since he ascended to No. 1 last June, showing no signs of giving it up any time soon. This victory marked the first Australian Open final featuring the top two seeds since 2019, where No. 1 Novak Djokovic defeated No. 2 Rafael Nadal, also in straight sets.
“It’s amazing,” Sinner remarked, reflecting on his remarkable achievements.
He has now become the youngest player to clinch back-to-back titles at Melbourne Park since Jim Courier in 1992-93 and is also the first male since Nadal in 2005 and 2006 to win consecutive titles following his first Grand Slam victory.
Since the dawn of 2024, Sinner has claimed victory in three out of five major tournaments, including the U.S. Open last September, achieving a stunning record of 80 wins and 6 losses, alongside nine tournament titles. His current undefeated streak spans 21 matches.
However, the past year has not been without its challenges; Sinner is embroiled in a doping controversy. Despite being cleared after testing positive for a trace amount of an anabolic steroid last March, the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed the ruling. He attributed the incident to unintentional exposure from members of his team, who have since been dismissed, and he was exonerated in August. A hearing regarding the WADA appeal is set for April.
With this win, Sinner becomes only the eighth man in the Open era to start his Grand Slam finals career at 3-0, while Zverev has now faced disappointment in three finals, adding this latest loss to his previous defeats at the 2020 U.S. Open and the 2024 French Open.
Unlike his previous finals, which went to five sets, this match was never in doubt.
“We’re doing all the right things,” Zverev stated, “but I’m just not good enough.”
As Zverev began to address the audience post-match, a spectator shouted a remark about his two ex-girlfriends who had accused him of physical abuse.
There was only one moment of genuine tension in the match when Zverev was just two points away from taking the second set, leading 5-4 and pressing on Sinner’s serve at love-30. However, he failed to convert any break opportunities.
Zverev surrendered the next four points, evening the score to 5-5, and Sinner went on to clinch the tiebreaker. It was no surprise, given his perfect 4-0 record in tiebreaks for the tournament, and he has won 16 of the last 18 he’s contested.
Last year, Sinner battled much harder to secure his first Grand Slam, overcoming Novak Djokovic—who withdrew from the semifinals against Zverev due to injury—and then rallying from two sets down against Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 U.S. Open champion, in the final.
This time around, the formidable 6-foot-3 (1.91-meter) Sinner brought forth his all-court game that remains resilient against any challenge, gliding across the court with remarkable speed and employing deep groundstrokes with his lengthy reach.
On this occasion, he demonstrated dominance in nearly every aspect of the match, aside from the aces.
Sinner, returning serves that peaked at 138 mph (223 kph), secured the only break in the first set with a stunning passing shot to take a 5-4 lead. Zverev could be seen returning to the baseline, shaking his head as he exchanged words with his family, seated courtside.
More frustration followed as Sinner closed out that set without losing a point, ending with a blistering ace at 120 mph (194 kph). Zverev retreated to his bench, clearly dejected, dropping his racket on an equipment bag in a show of displeasure. This eventually escalated to him breaking a racket on the court out of frustration during the match.
It’s easy to see why, given the masterful performance Sinner delivered from across the net.