Jannik Sinner faced a tough battle in the first round of the Australian Open and dropped a set in the second. And yet, his path to the title was never in doubt. It felt inevatible at times, and certainly once he got into the matches. Several players made him work harder than others, but none were ever a true threat to his dominance.
Indeed, Sinner’s biggest challenge actually came in the fourth round. Holger Rune took the second set in a tremendous battle that included highlight-reel points just about every game. But Rune was, understandably, unable to sustain the level needed to outplay Sinner, and neither the third nor fourth sets–while still entertaining–were particularly dangerous for the World #1.
The final, against World #2 Alexander Zverev, was closer on paper throughout, but again Sinner never felt threatened or in trouble. His serve was untouchable, and his baseline play was inexorable, so often coming through longer rallies with his trademark consistency and power. Zverev’s own big serve kept him competitive, but his inability to touch Sinner’s serve meant that the Italian always had the advantage.
Australian Open Final: Jannik Sinner def. Alexander Zverev 63 76(4) 63
Sinner began the match by holding to love, and did the same in his second service game. That really set a tone, as Sinner’s serve was absolutely untouchable for the entire match. The World #1 did not face a single break point his entire match. He earned a late break in the first set and easily served it out to take it 6-3. Zverev kept the second set interesting by protecting his serve as well, though he couldn’t come close to Sinner’s–Sinner actually won over 90% of his first-serve points in the set.
The only nervy part of the match was the second-set tiebreak. The tiebreak began with tense play on both sides, but Sinner found his range sooner and took it 7-4. He then earned a break for 4-2 in the third set, and the inevitable became imminent. Two holds later (one of which actually had to go through deuce) and Jannik Sinner defended his Australian Open crown.
What’s Next?
Zverev is now 0-3 in Grand Slam finals, and it’s beginning to feel like he might never win one. He is solid and has a huge serve, but he can’t seem to get over the hump against the game’s best in the biggest moments.
Sinner, meanwhile, is on top of the world. He’ll be World #1 for the foreseeable future and has won three straight hard court Grand Slams. He has yet to win a French Open or Wimbledon, but given his current form and his recent success on both clay and grass, that’s probably coming soon, too. The number of players who can stop him is dwindling in number, and if Novak Djokovic can’t stay healthy there might only be one. Unless he stops himself, Jannik Sinner will be at the top of tennis for a long time.
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images
