Jannik Sinner has written a new chapter of Grand Slam history by defeating Alexander Zverev in three sets to retain his Australian Open title.
In the first men's singles final to be contested by the two top seeds since 2019, Sinner cut a calm and collected figure against an increasingly exasperated Zverev as he prevailed 6-3 7-6[4] 6-3 to defend his Melbourne crown.
Already a trailblazer for Italian tennis, Sinner is now the first-ever player from his nation to win three Grand Slam singles titles, having also conquered the competition in New York to win the 2024 US Open.
Furthermore, the world number one is now the youngest player since Jim Courier in 1993 to win two straight Australian Open men's singles titles, while also becoming just the fifth man to triumph in three consecutive major finals on hard courts during the Open Era.
While Sinner extended his 100% record in Grand Slam finals, world number two Zverev suffered all-too familiar heartbreak in another major showpiece, now losing each of his first three such matches.
The German also finished as runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz in the 2024 French Open final and to Dominic Thiem in the 2020 US Open final, as his excruciating wait for that first Grand Slam honour continues.
Scintillating Sinner too hot for blunt Zverev
Coming so close yet so far to achieving his Grand Slam dream during the 2024 season, where he was one of the most in-form players on the ATP Tour, Zverev came into Sunday's showpiece with the fresher set of legs.
The German's semi-final with Novak Djokovic ended after just one set due to the Serbian's premature retirement, while Sinner had to survive an injury scare in his gruelling triumph over Ben Shelton in the last four.
However, while Zverev managed twice the amount of aces than Sinner - 12 to six - the second seed failed to fashion a single break point over the course of the two-hour and 42-minute battle with Sinner.
After a wide forehand brought up Sinner's first match point, Zverev did tremendously well to reach a well-placed drop shot from the Italian, but the world number one then sent a crisp backhand pass beyond Zverev's reach before lifting his arms aloft in elation.
Sunday's match marked just the fourth Grand Slam men's singles final in 35 years where the winner has not faced a single break point, and a mistake-strewn Zverev was also left to rue 44 unforced errors at the Rod Laver Arena.
Sinner did not make the most of all of his opportunities either, but the champion only needed to convert two of his 10 break points to get his hands on the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup yet again, doing it while dropping just two sets throughout the entire tournament. body check tags ::
