Sinner Retains Australian Open Title with Victory Over Zverev

Jannik Sinner successfully defended his Australian Open title with a straight-sets victory, defeating Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 on Sunday.

The 23-year-old delivered a confident performance throughout the two-hour, 42-minute match, with relentless pressure from the baseline. Sinner never faced a single break point, making history as the first Italian to win three Grand Slam trophies.

The top-ranked player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Sinner expertly neutralized Zverev’s baseline attack and was dominant behind his serve in the opening set, winning 85 percent of points on his first delivery.

Zverev found it difficult to establish a rhythm, and the pressure grew on his usually reliable serve, leading to him eventually succumbing to the sixth break point he faced.

Zverev showed flashes of brilliance, coming within two points of claiming the second set twice. Sinner’s team grew concerned when he stretched for a backhand in the seventh game of the second set and clutched his upper left leg. However, the Italian quickly shrugged off any discomfort, outlasting Zverev in many of the rallies.

Sinner and Zverev had both won every one of the three tie-breaks they played leading up to the final in Melbourne, but it was the defending champion who took advantage of a fortunate net cord at 4-4, to win the set and move within touching distance of a third major title.

In the third set, Sinner surged ahead with his stunning ball-striking, while Zverev was left to rue the 12 unforced errors he made, as yet another major final slipped from his grasp.

The Italian has now won all the three Grand Slam finals he has played, becoming the eighth player in the Open Era to accomplish this feat.

Sinner is now on an impressive 21-match win streak at the hard-court majors after also winning the Australian Open and US Open in 2024.

“We worked a lot to be in this position and it is an amazing feeling to share this moment with all of you,” Sinner said to his team.

“It was an amazing performance from my side I felt like I was serving really well in the beginning and trying to get in the zone very fast. It was very high-quality from my side. Second set, I got a bit lucky, as we saw. All things considered, an amazing run again here in Australia. I’m extremely happy sharing this with the team, the family, and the people I love, it’s amazing,” Sinner continued.

“It sucks standing next to this thing and not being able to touch it,” Zverev said when stood by the winner’s trophy. “Congratulations to Jannik, you deserve it. You are the best player in the world by far. I was hoping that I could be more of a competitor today, but you are just too good, it is as simple as that. Congratulations to you and your team, you really deserve it. You have done all the right things and there is nobody who deserves this trophy more.”

Zverev continued, “I want to thank my team. We are trying to do the right work, I am just not good enough. It is as simple as that. I really appreciate what everyone has done for the past three years, back from my ankle injury to playing Grand Slam finals again. I really appreciate everything they have done and would not be here without them.”