Jannik Sinner, ranked fourth in global rankings, defeated Daniil Medvedev 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 to win the Australian Open, his first-ever grand slam title.
After nearly four hours of play, Jannik Sinner beat Daniil Medvedev in an incredible comeback match to win his first Grand Slam championship. Sinner became the eighth person who won in a major final after losing two sets, and the first Italian to win the Australian Open since 1976.
Sinner slumped on the ground after his victory, letting his emotions run through him in the Rod Laver Arena.
Before Sinner pounded his heart on his way to rejoice with his squad, Medvedev lumbered over the net to express his congrats. While sitting in his chair, looking dejected as he attempted to come to terms with the setback, Medvedev was able to give a thumbs-up to the audience as they cheered his efforts.
“It hurts to lose in the final, but it’s probably better than losing earlier,” said Medvedev, who with his 24 hours and 17 minutes on the court established a record for the most time spent on the court at a Grand Slam tournament.
“I always want to win and I guess I have to try harder next time.“
Sinner, 22, is the youngest male player to win the Australian Open since Novak Djokovic in 2008. As fortune would have it, Sinner defeated Djokovic in the semifinals to advance to the championship match. Up to his match against Djokovic, he had not lost a set. That victory was noteworthy in and of itself since Djokovic was on a 33-match winning streak at the Australian Open and had never lost in a Melbourne semifinal.
Since 2005, there hasn’t been an Australian Open final without the “Big 3″—Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer—until this one. Federer has declared his retirement, and Nadal was forced to withdraw from this competition because of an injury.
