Jannik Sinner (No. 4) fought hard to win his first Grand Slam trophy on Sunday in Melbourne.
Trailing two sets to zero, the 22-year-old Italian overthrew Daniil Medvedev (no. 3) 3-6 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-3 in the final of the Australian Open.
Faller of ten-time tournament winner Novak Djokovic in the semi-final, Jannik Sinner had to battle for 3h44′ to confirm this immense feat. He knew how to bide his time for his first major final, offering Italian tennis its sixth Grand Slam singles title but the first in Melbourne.
Daniil Medvedev seemed untouchable when he seized the opponent’s serve for the fourth time to lead 6-3 5-1. But the winner of the US Open 2021 was severely lacking in energy when it came time to deliver the blow, he who had spent almost six hours more on the court than his opponent until then.
Jannik Sinner was able to raise his level of play and finally find the necessary relaxation at the end of the second set. He managed the ‘money time’ perfectly in the third and fourth sets, each time signing the decisive break in the last game against a less and less bleeding Daniil Medvedev.
And the Italian did not flinch in the last round, while his opponent was visibly blunted. He seized the Russian’s serve one last time in the sixth game, maintaining this advantage until the end. And he knew how to finish on his first opportunity, releasing an unstoppable forehand before collapsing to the ground.
Spectacular progress
The first Italian to win the men’s singles Grand Slam since 1976, Jannik Sinner is the youngest player to win in Melbourne since Novak Djokovic in 2008 (20 years and 250 days). Less precocious than Carlos Alcaraz, who at the age of 20 has two major titles to his name, he nevertheless very quickly confirmed his potential.
Winner of the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2019, the South Tyrolean offered himself a first ATP title and a first Grand Slam quarter-final – at Roland-Garros – in 2020. He continued his progression in 2021, picking up four titles to logically climb into the top 10 of the ATP rankings in November, at 20 years old.
A three-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist in 2022 – notably in New York where he fought an epic battle against future champion Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner reached an additional milestone in 2023. Semi-finalist at Wimbledon, he concluded the year in 4th place in the world.
Beaten by Novak Djokovic both in London and in the final of the ATP Masters in Turin, the Italian was still able to beat the world No. 1 twice last fall, in the group stage of the Masters then in the Davis Cup. Two victories which served as a catalyst for preparing for a 2024 season which he started like a dream.
/ATS