Jannik Sinner has become the first Italian player in history to win the Australian Open after staging a staggering comeback to defeat Daniil Medvedev.
The world No.4 won just six out of the first 18 games contested before fighting his way back to prevail 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3, over the Russian to claim his first Grand Slam title at the age of 22. Sinner’s heroics have created fresh heartbreak for Medvedev who has previously lost a match from two sets up in the final of the Australian Open back in 2022 against Rafael Nadal.
Sinner, who is the youngest player to win the title since Novak Djokovic in 2008, weathered the storm with the help of 50 winners as he won 66% of his first service points. He has now won 12 out of 13 matches against top 10 players since the conclusion of last year’s Wimbledon Championships. His only loss was to Djokovic at the ATP Finals in Turin.
“I want to thank everyone for making this Slam so special,” said Sinner.
“My team, everyone in the box and also those watching from home who work with me. We are trying to get better every day. Even during the tournament, we were trying to get stronger, trying to understand the situation a bit better, so I am so glad to have you there supporting me and understanding me which sometimes is not easy because I am still a little bit young.’
Sunday’s showdown at the Rod Laver Arena was a tale of two halves. At first, Medvedev appeared to be unaffected by the fact he had spent six more hours on the court than Sinner coming into the final. His game plan was to dictate the rallies by being aggressive, standing close to the baseline and going after Sinner’s second serve. This approach paid off for him initially as he sailed to a two-set lead in just over 90 minutes by breaking his opponent four times.
However, history would repeat itself for Medvedev as Sinner elevated his level and slowly clawed his way back into the match. Hanging tight, he snatched the third set the third set to revive his chances of a maiden Major trophy, doing so after back-to-back errors from from Medvedev’s racket when he was serving 4-5 down.
The challenges still came for Sinner who saved a break point at 3-3 in the fourth set by audatiously hitting an ace. If he had lost that point, Medvedev would have been two games away from victory. Continuing to fight against his increasingly tiring opponent, an eruption of cheers occurred when he forced the match into a decider.
At this stage, Medvedev was nowhere near as dominant as he was at the start. He has played 31 sets at the Australian Open which is a new record. Sinner’s decisive blow occurred six games into the decider when he broke for a 4-2 lead after hitting a cross-court winner. Closing in on victory, he prevailed on his first championship point with a thunderous forehand winner. Prompting him to drop to the floor in disbelief.
“Daniil congrats to you and your team for an amazing tournament. We’ve played so many amazing finals together, but every match I find something where I can improve and you make me a much better player,” the new champion commented.
“Your effort has been awesome throughout the whole tournament and the hours off the court and also today, running for every ball, it is remarkable to see.”
Sinner, who was also a good skier at a young age, also paid tribute to the support his family have given him throughout his career.
“Everyone who is watching from home, especially my family. I wish that everyone could have my parents because they always let me choose whatever. They never put pressure on me. I wish this freedom is possible for as many young kids as possible, so thanks so much to my parents.” He said.
Meanwhile, Medvedev must wait another year before attempting to claim his first Australian Open title. He has spent more than 24 hours on the court during this year’s tournament which is more than any other player in Grand Slam history.
“I want to thank my team for supporting me every day and every night. Dasha [his wife] and [daughter] Alisa if you are watching I am sorry I couldn’t make it today but I am going to try next time for you,” said Medvedev.
“Just want to thank everyone it’s been an amazing two weeks. It hurts to lose in the final but being in the final is better than losing before. I’m proud of myself and I’m going to try even harder next time.”
Sinner is the first Italian man to win a Grand Slam title since 1976 when Adriano Panatta won the French Open.
