In the highly anticipated Australian Open men’s final, Alexander Zverev is set to challenge defending champion Jannik Sinner, a task that is shaping up to be one of the most daunting in men’s Tennis today. The Italian phenom hasn’t tasted defeat on hard courts since losing in the fourth round of the 2023 US Open, a match that Zverev himself won.
Sinner, who won his first Grand Slam title in Melbourne last year, comes to this final on an impressive 20-game winning streak on hard courts, having recently knocked out American Ben Shelton in straight sets in the semis. -finals.
Overall, the 22-year-old has won 36 of his last 37 matches, with his only loss coming against Carlos Alcaraz in the China Open final in October.
World number 1 and the youngest player to reach consecutive Australian Open finals since Pete Sampras in 1995, Sinner showed dominant form throughout the tournament, dropping only two sets to reach his second final consecutive.
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At just 23 years old, Sinner is undeniably the player to beat on Sunday, an idea reflected by the tension surrounding the tournament as the final is scheduled to begin at 3:30 a.m. Eastern.
“It’s going to be a tough match,” Sinner admitted of his upcoming clash with Zverev. “We have had some very demanding matches in the past. Anything can happen.
“He is an incredible player. He is aiming for his first major title, which will certainly bring a lot of tension on court. However, I am delighted to be in this position again. Sundays during tournaments are special, and I intends to savor every moment.”
-Sinner’s standout performance comes amid significant off-court controversy, which stemmed from a positive test for the banned substance Clostebol in March 2024. Although the International Tennis Integrity Agency confirmed in August that there was no fault on his part, the World Anti-Doping Agency has since appealed this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
On the other hand, Zverev’s path to the Australian Open final has been unconventional; he reached this stage after Novak Djokovic withdrew due to injury.
The German has a promising record against Sinner on hard courts, having won the previous two encounters at Grand Slam tournaments, while Sinner beat him at the 2020 French Open.
Zverev, a player long considered a potential Grand Slam champion, boasts impressive accolades, including a men’s singles gold medal at the Olympics, two ATP Finals titles, and a remarkable seven Masters 1,000 victories. Yet, the Grand Slam title remains elusive for him.
This final marks Zverev’s third appearance on the Grand Slam stage, following narrow defeats in five-set matches against Alcaraz at last year’s French Open and Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open. a particularly painful defeat after letting a two-set lead slip away.
Similar to Sinner’s run to the final, Zverev also only lost two sets during the tournament. Additionally, he comes into this clash with a slight physical advantage, coming from a semifinal where Djokovic dropped out after one set due to injury.
“It would be great to finally win one more set than in my previous finals,” commented Zverev.
“Grand Slam finals are inherently difficult. You’re playing the best players in the world on that stage. I’ve had tough losses, including two in five sets — one being a fifth-set tiebreak at the US Open . I feel like maybe it’s time for some luck to show up in a Grand Slam final as well.”
