Unplayable: defending champion in Melbourne, the no 1 in the world Jannik Sinner disgusted his runner-up Alexander Zverev on Sunday, in the final of the Australian Open, to win his third Grand Slam title.
The 23-year-old Italian, now his country’s most successful player in the four major world tennis tournaments (Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon, US Open), won 6-3, 7- 6 (7/4), 6-3, against the German, second in the ATP ranking.
On the hard court of the Rod Laver Arena, scene, Saturday, of the surprise defeat of the double title holder Aryna Sabalenka (1re) against the American Madison Keys (14e), Sinner won a 21e consecutive victory, the longest series of successes of his career.
After Madison Keys’ cry of surprise yesterday, to celebrate her victory, Sinner celebrated her third major title in sobriety, reflecting her discreet personality, contenting herself with holding her head in both hands before going to hug his loved ones.
Zverev went to sit on his bench with moist eyes, his gaze lost in space for a few moments.
“It sucks to be next to this thing and not be able to touch it,” laughed the German at the opening of his post-match speech, delivered a few centimeters from the trophy reserved for the winner.
“Jannik, you are by far the best player in the world. I was hoping I could make life harder for you today [dimanche]but you’re just too strong, it’s as simple as that,” his victim complimented him.
Without pity
Sinner urged Zverev to “keep believing [en lui]”. “Players, coaches… All those involved in this sport are convinced that you will soon lift” a Grand Slam trophy, the Italian tried to console him.
On the court, the champion with the red curls, on the other hand, showed himself to be merciless, not leaving the slightest break point to his opponent and also benefiting from a little success at a key moment in the second game.
-The Italian, winner of the US Open in 2024 in addition to his two titles in Melbourne, has not been beaten since the final of the Beijing tournament in October despite a doping case in which the Arbitration Court of Sport is due to audition him in mid-April.
After a positive test for an anabolic in March 2024, a contamination that the Italian presents as accidental, the World Anti-Doping Agency is calling for a suspension of one to two years against him.
Sinner confirmed his current supremacy on hard in Australia, a surface on which he won his first ATP Finals in November and a second Davis Cup in a row with Italy.
At 27, Zverev failed for the third time in the final of a Grand Slam, after two defeats in five sets at the US Open in 2020 and at Roland-Garros in 2024. Last German crowned in a Grand Slam on the men’s side in 1996, at the Australian Open, Boris Becker will therefore have to wait again to find a successor.
Marking his territory from the outset on Sunday, Sinner started the game with an ace, followed by a winning service, before winning his first two service games without giving Zverev a single point.
If the German resisted by saving five break points in the first set, he ended up breaking in the sixth, a volley which ended in the net. At 5-3 in his favor, Sinner concluded the round by inflicting another shutout on his opponent, with an ace as a finale (6-3).
Zverev had the merit of not being discouraged and pushed his opponent to the tiebreaker in the second set. At 4-4, a shot from the Italian hit the edge of the net before dying in the German’s half, offering a mini-break lead to Sinner, who hastened to pocket the last two points of the decisive game on his serve (7/4).
The third round was less contested, Sinner breaking Zverev in the sixth game to lead 4-2 and fly to a second Australian coronation (6-3).
