Dominant Jannik Sinner wins Australian Open again as Alexander Zverev ‘not good enough’ - live
Sinner won his second Australian Open with a 6-3 7-6 (4) 6-3 victory to deny Zverev his grand slam title
Jannik Sinner defeated Alexander Zverev to win the Australian Open for the second year in a row, as the World No 1 added a third grand slam singles title with a 6-3 7-6 6-3 victory to deny the German his first major.
Sinner, 23, produced a dominant display to defend his crown in Melbourne, claiming a 21st consecutive win at the hard-court grand slams after winning both the Australian Open and US Open last season.
Zverev now has three defeats in his three appearances in grand slam finals. The 27-year-old second seed could not hide his frustration as Sinner won the crucial second-set tiebreak, with the Italian earning a fortunate net-cord on 4-4.
Once firmly ahead, Sinner pressed home his advantage. His serving was meticulous and Sinner did not face a single break point as he closed out a ruthless victory to become the first Italian to win three grand slam singles titles.
“Congratulations to Jannik, you deserve it,” Zverev said. “You are the best player in the world by far. I was hoping to be more competitive today but you are too good, it’s as simple as that.” A despondent Zverev also questioned if he was “good enough” to win a first grand slam.
Follow the latest updates from the Australian Open final in our live blog below:
Italian history for Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner is the first Italian male or female player to win three singles grand slam titles in tennis history.
Hard-court king of men’s tennis Jannik Sinner crowned Australian Open champion
Jannik Sinner cemented his status as the hard-court king of men’s tennis with his second-consecutive Australian Open title.
The world number one defeated Alexander Zverev 6-3 7-6 (4) 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena, making him the first Italian man or woman to hold three grand slam singles titles.
Sinner has not lost a match on hard courts at a major since a defeat by Zverev in the fourth round of the US Open in 2023, following up his maiden title here last year by winning in New York.
A repeat never looked on the cards, with Sinner showcasing all the qualities that have made him virtually untouchable on the surface.
Report from Eleanor Crooks
Hard-court king of men’s tennis Jannik Sinner crowned Australian Open champion
Jannik Sinner thanks his team after Australian Open win
“To my team, what can I say. We worked a lot to be again in this position. It is an amazing feeling to share this moment with all of you. It is amazing to achieve these things and to share this with you guys. Darren [Cahill], it is probably, maybe your last Australian Open as a coach - I will try to convince you [to carry on] - and it is an honour to share this trophy with you. And Simone [Vagnozzi], you are an amazing combination of coaches. Thank you so much.”
Jannik Sinner sets records on way to Australian Open title
Some stats on Sinner’s dominant second Australian Open title, via OptaAce.
- Sinner is the fifth player in the Open Era to win three consecutive men’s singles titles at hard-court grand slams, joining Djokovic, Federer, Lendl and McEnroe.
- Sinner is the fourth player in the last 35 years not to face a single break point in a grand slam final, joining Nadal, Federer and Sampras
- Sinner has now won 47 of his first 50 matches as World No 1, joining Borg and Connors as the most of all time.
- Sinner is the first player in over 50 years to claim 10 consecutive straight-sets wins against top-10 opponents
Jannik Sinner: ‘I know I can raise my level’
Jannik Sinner, speaking to Discovery+ and Eurosport, on what won him the match today.
“I felt like I was starting the match very well, feeling the ball well and playing aggressive. The second set could have gone both ways but I had break point chances and he served very well. In the third set I tried to search for the break. I served very well today.
“I do struggle sometimes inside. Tennis you have some days where you feel worse but every day is different. I know I can raise my level every day and that’s what I was searching for. I tried to stay focused. I’m well prepared for tough battles and I have shown that in the two weeks.”
Alexander Zverev questions if he is ‘good enough’ after defeat
A tough day for Alexander Zverev, who said in his post-match speech that he is “not good enough” to beat World No 1 Sinner.
The 27-year-old added: “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to lift the trophy but I will keep coming back and trying. I will see you guys next year.”
Jannik Sinner admits he got ‘lucky’ in second-set tiebreak
Jannik Sinner, speaking to Discovery+ and Eurosport, on the difference between his first and second Australian Open titles.
“Coming here as defending champion is always different, you feel the pressure. Every match has been tough. In the finals, the pressure is different. It’s a tough day for Sascha, he had already some tough grand slam finals. I get lucky in the second-set tiebreak on the net-cord. I can feel for him. He was down, I tried to pick him up a bit but it’s tough.
“From my side, I’m very, very happy.”
Australian Open final: Key match stats
- 1st serve in: Sinner 60% - 68% Zverev
- 1st serve points won: Sinner 84% - 69% Zverev
- 2nd serve points won: Sinner 63% - 50% Zverev
- Aces: Sinner 6-12 Zverev
- Double faults: Sinner 2-2 Zverev
- Winners: Sinner 32 - 25 Zverev
- Unforced errors: Sinner 27 - 45 Zverev
- Break points won: Sinner 2/10 - 0/0 Zverev
- Total points won: Sinner 107 - 83 Zverev
Back-to-back Australian Open titles for Jannik Sinner
2024 meets 2025. Jannik Sinner keeps his hands on the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup.
Champion Jannik Sinner speaks after Australian Open win
Since turning World No 1, Jannik Sinner has got quite used to giving victory speeches. Here’s the champion:
“I would like to start with Sascha. A tough day for you. You are an amazing player. Keep beleiving in yourself, we all know how strong you are not only as a player but also a person. So keep it up, we all believe you can win one of these very, very soon.
“My team, what can I say. We worked so hard to be in this position. It’s amazing to achieve this things but mostly to share them with you guys. Darren [Cahill] I know this might be your last Australian Open, I’m happy we can win the trophy.
“This is an amazing tournament, for me the most special grand slam. Thank you so much.”
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