Italian wunderkind Jannik Sinner finally fulfilled the expectations of many when he emerged victorious at Melbourne Park. The 22-year-old had been waiting in the wings to get to his first Grand Slam tournament finals. But, time and again, he failed to cross the hurdle.
At the 2024 Australian Open, he was seeded fourth and was playing his first tournament of the season. He reached the semi-finals without dropping a set. But the reward for it was to be drawn against defending champ and 10-time AO winner Novak Djokovic.
Nole had never lost a semi-final match in Australia hitherto. But Sinner played one of the best matches of his career. He nearly dispatched Djokovic in straight sets, but the Serb somehow won the third set. The Italian had, however, exhausted him terribly by then. Eventually, it was just a small delay in his win as he reached his first Major final after defeating Nole.
As the 22-year-old was subjected to massive praise, even Djokovic admitted it was his ‘worst’ Grand Slam performance. In a recent interview, the Italian recalled the entire trip Down Under and especially the match against Djokovic that got him into the finals.
I lived this whole trip in Australia with very calmness. It’s a different match than most of the matches. Because you play against one who never lost a semifinal there. You’re playing against one who won 24 Grand Slams. Said Sinner, as per Vogue.
The Italian admitted he did not have many things to control against Djokovic. He could only remain precise in his shots and service game and stick to his game plan. It eventually worked, as he became the first player ever to defeat the Serb in a semi-final at Melbourne Park.
So in your mind, you have to do the right thing. Tactically, you have to be perfect. Mentally also, because he’s never gonna drop down. I was just trying to play point after point with the right mentality. That’s the only thing I can control. Added Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner’s calmness and match awareness bailed him in the Australian Open finals too
In his first Major final, the Italian was off to a poor start. Playing against former World No. 1 and US Open winner Daniil Medvedev, Sinner lost the first two sets. With Medvedev better experienced in Grand Slam finals and having taken a two-set lead, the odds were heavily in his favor.
Sinner however held on and slowly pushed his way back into the match. He remained vigilant in his service and put pressure on Medvedev in hopes of winning a break. This worked for him in both sets three and four as the match was taken to the fifth set.
With all to play for in the final set, the crowd had shifted to supporting Sinner as he was the underdog. Medvedev was visibly tired and his confidence looked to be going down. The Italian made the best use of it to clinch the set and the Grand Slam title.
He became only the second player after Rafael Nadal to defeat Medvedev after the Russian had won the first two sets in a hardcourt Grand Slam match. Unfortunately for the Russian, both occasions came in the finals of the Australian Open (2022 and 2024).
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