Jannik Sinner dominates Alexander Zverev to defend Australian Open title

By SABC Sport
26th January 2025

Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner solidified his place at the top of the sport with a commanding straight-set victory over Germany's Alexander Zverev to retain his Australian Open title on Sunday.

Sinner, 23, won the highly anticipated clash between the world's top two players 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena.

The victory made him the first Italian, male or female, to claim three Grand Slam titles, surpassing Nicola Pietrangeli's historic two.

After clinching the win, Sinner raised his arms and looked to the sky in celebration. During the trophy presentation, he paid tribute to his team, particularly coach Darren Cahill, who had announced that this would be his final season working with the Italian.

"We worked a lot to be in this position. It's just an amazing feeling to share this moment with all of you," Sinner said. "I know, Darren, it's probably, maybe I try to convince you, your last Australian Open as a coach. I'm very, very happy to share this trophy with you."

In the opening set, Sinner quickly set about bossing the forehand exchanges while capitalising on Zverev's struggles at the net, breaking at 4-3 with a punishing backhand return.

The second set saw a dip in intensity, but Sinner held firm under pressure, saving key break points and clinching the tiebreak after a thrilling 21-shot rally and a timely net cord that set up a forehand winner. With momentum on his side, Sinner controlled the third set, wearing Zverev down with powerful groundstrokes and closing out the match with composure in two hours and 42 minutes.

Despite his victory, Sinner faces uncertainty ahead of a scheduled World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) hearing in April at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). WADA is appealing his exoneration in a previous case and is seeking a long-term ban.

For Zverev, the loss marked his third defeat in a Grand Slam final, adding to earlier heartbreaks at the 2020 US Open and 2024 Roland Garros. The German was gracious in defeat, acknowledging Sinner's dominance.

"You're just too good. It's as simple as that," Zverev said. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to lift the trophy, but I'll keep coming back, I'll keep trying.".