- Jannik Sinner, 22, becomes the first Italian player to win the Australian Open men’s title and the youngest since Novak Djokovic in 2008.
- Sinner rallies from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in a thrilling final that lasts almost four hours.
- Medvedev suffers his fifth loss in six Grand Slam finals and fails to win the Australian Open title despite reaching the final three times.
Melbourne: Jannik Sinner achieved the biggest triumph of his career as he came back from the brink of defeat to stun Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final on Sunday, January 28, 2024.
The fourth-seeded Italian, who had upset 10-time champion Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, showed remarkable resilience and courage to overcome a two-set deficit and beat the third-seeded Russian 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in a gruelling contest that lasted three hours and 44 minutes.
Sinner, 22, became the first Italian player to win the Australian Open men’s title and the youngest since Djokovic in 2008. He also became the second Italian in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam, following Adriano Panatta’s French Open victory in 1976.
Sinner, who was playing in his first major final, had to dig deep to overcome Medvedev, who had won six of their previous nine meetings and was seeking his second Grand Slam title after the US Open 2021.
Medvedev, 27, had set a new record for the most time spent on court at a Grand Slam tournament with 24 hours and 17 minutes, surpassing Carlos Alcaraz’s 23 hours and 40 minutes at the US Open 2022. He had also reached the Australian Open final for the third time, having lost to Djokovic in 2021 and Rafael Nadal in 2022.
Medvedev looked on course to finally lift the trophy as he dominated the first two sets with his powerful and precise game. He broke Sinner’s serve twice in each set and did not face a single break point himself. He also hit more winners (24) than unforced errors (16) and won 80% of his first-serve points.
However, Sinner refused to give up and started to find his rhythm and confidence in the third set. He raised his level and intensity, hitting more aggressively and moving better. He also improved his serve, landing 75% of his first serves and winning 79% of those points.
Sinner got his first break point of the match in the 10th game of the third set when Medvedev made three forehand errors in a row. He converted it with a backhand winner and took the set 6-4, keeping his hopes alive.
The momentum shifted in Sinner’s favour as he continued to apply pressure on Medvedev, who started to show signs of fatigue and frustration. Sinner broke Medvedev’s serve again in the 10th game of the fourth set, capitalizing on three more forehand errors from the Russian. He clinched the set 6-4 with a forehand winner, forcing a decider.
The fifth set was tense and thrilling, as both players fought for every point. Sinner had a triple break point in the sixth game, but Medvedev saved the first one with a service winner. However, Sinner seized the second one with a forehand winner and took a 4-2 lead. He then held his nerve and his serve and closed out the match with another forehand winner down the line.
Sinner fell to his back on the baseline in celebration, while Medvedev walked around the net to congratulate him. Sinner then thumped his heart and hugged his team, while Medvedev looked dejected and gave a thumbs-up to the crowd.
Sinner said he was speechless after his remarkable victory and thanked his team and the fans for their support. He also praised Medvedev for his performance and said he was honoured to play against him.
Medvedev congratulated Sinner for his achievement and said he was disappointed with his loss. He also thanked his team and the fans for their support and said he would try harder next time.
Sinner’s win marked the end of an incredible fortnight for the young Italian, who had only dropped one set before the final, against Djokovic in the semi-finals. He had also beaten top players such as Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev and Matteo Berrettini en route to the final.
Sinner’s win also signalled a new era in men’s tennis, as he became the first player born in the 2000s to win a Grand Slam. He also broke the dominance of the Big Three – Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer – who had won 17 of the previous 18 Australian Open titles.
Sinner will rise to a career-high ranking of No. 2 globally, behind only Djokovic, when the new rankings are released on Monday. He will also become the first Italian player to reach the top two in the men’s singles rankings.
Medvedev will remain at No. 3 in the world but will lose some ground to Sinner in the race for the year-end No. 1 ranking. He will also have to wait for another chance to win his second Grand Slam title and his first Australian Open title.
