Jannik Sinner put on a masterclass to beat Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3, winning the Australian Open for the second time on Sunday. At age 23, the Italian became the first from his nation to win three Grand Slam titles, breaking the tie with Nicola Pietrangeli.
Sinner’s win cements his dominance even further, alongside tennis greats Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to win back to back at Melbourne Park in this century. For Zverev, it was more heartbreak, and another near miss in his third Grand Slam final.
“It’s a great feeling to share this moment with my team,” Sinner said before extending an encouraging word to Zverev. “You’re a great player and great human being. Keep the faith; your time is going to come.”
The unrelenting performance from the Italian saw him take Zverev late in the first set before edging a tense second-set tiebreak thanks to a fortuitous net cord. Zverev’s ire boiled over, and he smashed his racquet at the changeover.
Zverev hit a forehand error that gave Sinner a break for 4-2, and he strode in for the victory. With an ongoing doping appeal hanging over him, though, Sinner had his mind on the task at hand, extending his winning streak to 21 matches and collecting his 19th career title.
