Jannik Sinner yesterday stormed back from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev in a grueling five-set Australian Open final, winning his first Grand Slam in an emphatic statement that he is among the elite group of newcomers finally challenging the established order.
The 22-year-old was ranked a lowly 17th after last year’s tournament in Melbourne, where he lost a difficult five-setter to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fourth round.
However, the Italian fourth seed yesterday showed that he now belongs in the top bracket, coming from two sets down to beat third seed Daniil Medvedev 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in three hours and 44 minutes.
Photo: Reuters
The result is a bitter blow for the Russian third seed, who has now lost a second Australian Open final after being two sets up, following his defeat by Rafael Nadal in 2022.
Medvedev came into the match boasting a 6-3 winning record against the 22-year-old, but had lost the past three matches. The Russian had played three demanding five-setters at Melbourne Park and spent nearly six hours longer on the court than Sinner before the final.
Sinner ended last season with four Tour titles, including his first Masters crown in Toronto, and added gloss by leading Italy to their first Davis Cup crown since 1976.
He also reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon and the ATP Finals decider, both times being defeated by world No. 1 Novak Djokovic.
However, he turned the tables in the semifinals in Melbourne, recording a momentous victory over the 10-time Australian Open champion to record his third victory over the Serb in four meetings.
One striking aspect of Sinner’s performances is his extraordinary air of calm on court.
He squandered a match point against Djokovic that could have proved fatal as the top seed won the third set tie-break, but took his next opportunity 55 minutes later.
“I’m really relaxed, to be honest. I just try to work as hard as possible and in my mind I feel like the hard work always pays off in one way, and we are working really hard for our dreams,” he said. “If this can happen, it’s good. If not, I gave 100 percent, and the rest I cannot control.”
That calm proved essential in coming back from two brutal first sets to turn the momentum in his favor against Medvedev.
A career in professional tennis was not a given for Sinner, who grew up in the German-speaking north of Italy.
He was a champion skier as a young man and still enjoys the sport in the offseason. He was also a keen soccer player.
Sinner was named the 2019 ATP newcomer of the year, but he has struggled to make his mark at the majors, with last year’s semi-finals at Wimbledon being his best performance before this year’s Australian Open.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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