In Australia, the Italian is not only the title holder. He has also just achieved 20 successes in a row on the ATP circuit, the longest collection of consecutive victories of his career and an unprecedented series for two years, achieved at the time by the illustrious Novak Djokovic.
At 23, the double Grand Slam winner (Australian Open and US Open 2024) nevertheless reiterated that he was neither invincible nor “perfect”, and that his success came above all from his daily “work”.
In the event of victory, the Italian will become the most successful representative of the Boot in the Grand Slam, ahead of his compatriot Nicola Pietrangeli, double winner of Roland-Garros (1959, 1960).
“They are N.1 and N.2, from a ranking point of view it’s the perfect final,” underlined Darren Cahill, one of Sinner’s coaches. “The best player will win.”
If his status and his title last year make Sinner the favorite, Alexander Zverev feels “ready” to achieve his first Grand Slam success after two finals lost after five sets at the US Open 2020 and at Roland Garros. Garros 2024.
– 4 to 2 for Zverev –
“I did the job”, especially on a physical level after feeling, by his own admission, “tired” at the end of his title match against Carlos Alcaraz (3rd) in Paris, insisted Friday Zverev, who had until this year never gone beyond the semi-finals in Melbourne, reached in 2020 and 2024.
“I don’t want that to happen again this year,” insisted the German, renowned for the physical exercise sessions he inflicts on himself as soon as he finishes matches.
-Another reason to believe it: the Hamburger leads four victories to two in his face-to-face meetings with Sinner. In Grand Slams, Zverev has always won on hard court (twice at the US Open), compared to a success for the Italian at Roland-Garros in 2020.
But the world No.1 should also be able to withstand the shock if the final were to be played in five sets, like last year when he won against Daniil Medvedev after coming back from two sets behind.
“I have no fear about the fact that he will go the distance over five sets if necessary,” insisted Sinner’s coach before the 12th clash between a world No.1 and a world No.2 in the final in Melbourne from the start of the Open era.
The last time, in 2019, Novak Djokovic enforced the hierarchy by winning against Rafael Nadal, then 2nd in the ATP rankings.
Eliminated by retirement against Zverev in the semi-finals, the 37-year-old Serbian will support the world No.2 on Sunday.
“He deserves his first Grand Slam. I will encourage him. I hope he will manage to win it here,” said Djokovic, 24-time major tournament winner.
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