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Jannik Sinner claimed his first Major title at the Australian Open, conquering the tennis world at 22. The Italian backed the title with another success in Rotterdam last week, winning his 15th straight match and becoming world no.
3. Gael Monfils played against Sinner in Rotterdam, praising the young gun and applauding his success. Gael predicted Jannik's bright future, imagining him with many more Major trophies. Sinner gained a boost in the second part of 2023, reaching the Wimbledon semi-final and lifting a Masters 1000 trophy in Toronto.
The Italian lost only two matches after the US Open, winning in Beijing and Vienna and securing Italy's first Davis Cup trophy since 1976! Also, Jannik ousted Novak Djokovic two times in the closing stages of the year, using that momentum at the beginning of 2024.
Sinner sailed into the Australian Open quarter-final without losing a set, with three top-10 rivals standing between him and the title. Jannik took down Karen Khachanov before ousting another Russian, Andrey Rublev, arranging the semi-final duel with a ten-time winner Novak Djokovic.
It was their third duel within two months, and Sinner produced a rock-solid 6-1, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 triumph in three hours and 22 minutes, dethroning Djokovic and reaching his first Major final.
Jannik played at a high level from start to finish, missing a match point in the third set but making a fresh start in the fourth, becoming the first player with a win over Novak in Melbourne after the quarter-final stage.
Djokovic could not match the young gun's pace, failing to create a break point for the first time in completed matches at Majors! Novak felt the pressure in his games and could not endure it, facing 11 break points and getting broken five times.
Gael Monfils applauded Jannik Sinner on his first Major title.
The Italian tamed his strokes nicely, attacking and reducing the number of errors. The Serb sprayed over 50 of them, struggling to impose his strokes and standing miles below his rival in the shortest range up to four strokes.
The young gun made a reliable start, producing four breaks in the opening two sets and leaving world no. 1 miles behind. With his back pushed against the wall, Djokovic raised his level behind the initial shot in the third set, surviving an early scare and reaching a tie break.
Novak denied a match point and stole the breaker 8-6, extending the battle and his chances. Like a man on a mission, Jannik left that setback behind quickly, serving well in the fourth set and pressuring Novak.
Sinner clinched a decisive break in the fifth game, moving in front and firing a forehand down the line winner on serve at 5-3 to emerge at the top and mark his career-best victory.
The celebration was short, though, as the Italian met world no. 3 Daniil Medvedev in the title clash two days later. The 22-year-old competed in his first Major final and felt the pressure against a more experienced rival in the early stage of the duel.
However, Jannik turned the tables and notched a 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 triumph in three hours and 44 minutes, becoming Italy's first champion in Melbourne. Sinner grabbed one point more than Medvedev, staying focused and erasing a massive deficit en route to a trophy.
Each player scored four breaks, and the Italian produced his return games when it mattered the most. Daniil served well in the opener and produced two breaks for an early lead. The Russian took almost half of the return points in the second set, turning them into a couple of breaks and forging a massive advantage, moving closer to his second Major title.
Jannik faced deuce on serve at 4-4 in the third set, surviving and stealing the rival's serve in game ten to launch his comeback. Daniil had a chance to seal the deal in four sets, missing a routine backhand at 30-0 on the return at 3-3.
Sinner survived in that game and delivered another late break at 5-4 to force a decider after three hours and six minutes and gain a massive boost.
They served well in the opening five games before Jannik stepped in on the return at 3-2. The Italian fired a forehand winner, clinching a decisive break and moving in front. The young gun cemented the lead with a service winner in game seven, forging a 5-2 lead and putting one hand on the trophy.
Medvedev reduced the deficit to 5-3 with a volley winner, leaving his rival to serve for the title in game nine. Sinner made no mistakes in one of the most important games of his career, landing a forehand winner and celebrating his first Major title.
"Seeing Jannik as a Major winner is great; I was delighted. I have known him for a long time, and he is a big champion. I'm sure Jannik will collect many more Major titles," Gael Monfils said.