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Zverev heckled after heartbreaking loss | 02:28
It was the most supreme of serving performances and one that catapulted Jannik Sinner to the company of legends after a triumphant defence of his Australian Open crown.
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In a decisive 6-3 7-6 (4) 6-3 dismantling of world No.2 Alexander Zverev, the Italian became just the third player this century to win a major final without facing a break point.
Roger Federer managed it against Mark Philippoussis when winning Wimbledon in 2003. Rafael Nadal did the same when far too good for Kevin Anderson at the US Open in 2017.
With respect to the ‘Scud’ and ‘Big Kev’, they were not blessed with the return games or baseline quality that the German, who conjured 71 break points this tournament, possesses.
Yet it was just one of the many weapons of the German’s that Sinner neutralised in a truly remarkable display. He also managed to break down the forehand of the German, who hit only three winners while making 24 unforced errors from the wing.
Not surprisingly, Zverev said he was “the best player in the world by far” and likened playing against Sinner to facing “Novak at his best”.
Later he said Sinner did everything better than him bar serving. Even that is some statement given Sinner’s strength in that facet on Sunday night, though the German did manage to land 81 of his first serves at an average speed of 108kmh in the opening set.
It turns out the combination of a Sinner with a ‘Killer’, which is coach Darren Cahill’s nickname, along with a helping hand from Simone Vagnozzi has produced one of the most lethal hardcourt players the sport has seen.
In a warning to his rivals, Sinner said that he is planning to make the most of his time with the masterful Australian coach Cahill in his final season on tour to get even better and said part of his motivation for winning a second AO was to pay tribute to his mentor.
“Maybe the second serve could be a little bit more aggressive and (I will be) trying to sneak into the net a little bit more,” Sinner said.
“For sure, there are some areas where I can improve. I always want to be a better player. I’m not only seeing he result. It is important in a year’s time that, ‘OK. I have improved as a player’. That is much more important.”
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Those burned by Sinner bear thousand yard stares after the experience, with the relentless brilliance of the Italian rendering them shellshocked. There was no difference in Melbourne.
Dual-Australian Open champion Jim Courier said Sinner succeeded by “suffocating” his rivals. And that appeared evident as he worked his way to another hardcourt major.
Consider Alex de Minaur after his quarterfinal loss, with the Aussie declaring it felt like he had been “slapped across the face” in the brutal beatdown he received.
Zverev has been playing superb tennis and, to be fair, was very good in the final. Had he clinched an incredible point when leading 6-5 in the second set, or had the let cord at 4-all in the subsequent tiebreaker fallen the other side of the net, he may have been different.
But even that was not good enough to bring up a single break point against the world No.1, who has lost only three matches on hardcourts dating back to the ATP Tour Finals decider in 2023.
“The facts speak for themselves. He is in a different universe right now,” Zverev said.
“We are trying to do all the right work. I am just not good enough. It is as simple as that.”
The break points statistic in the final aside, the victory elevates Sinner to the company of greats for another reason given his unblemished record in grand slam finals to date.
In the Open era, Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, Stefan Edberg, Gustavo Kuerten, Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka and Carlos Alcaraz have managed to win their first three finals.
Conversely, the desolate Zverev now joins Ivan Lendl, Andre Agassi, Goran Ivanisevic, Andy Murray, Dominic Thiem and Casper Ruud as players beaten in their first three deciders.
While the German required consoling from the champion prior to the trophy presentation, there is something to look forward to in regards to that company.
Ruud is the only one without a major title, and he is younger than the German, though he did vow to keep working to achieve want he wants so dearly.
“It sucks to be standing so close and not be able to touch it,” Zverev said.
A SWIMMING SENSATION MARVELS AT A SINNER
Among the 1.2 million fans who attended this Australian Open was French swimming sensation Leon Marchand, who won four golds in Paris and was courtside on Sunday.
Marchand’s breaststroke technique is said to be the perfect balance of power and efficiency. It is an apt way to describe Sinner when playing tennis, particularly on hard courts.
When walking, the Italian is somewhat awkward gaited. But once the point begins, he is poetry in motion when whizzing back and forth along the baseline and to and from the ball.
That the 23-year-old was considered to be destined for greatness on the slopes when skiing the Italian alps is scarcely a surprise, for he moves on a court with the ease of a slalom skier.
As a case in point, there is no better illustration of his supreme court coverage that the 21 shot rally at 5-6, 30-all in the second set which ultimately drew a standing ovation from fans.
The rally had everything, with both players moving from the baseline to the net and back again to cover all angles of the court, with drop shots, lob and reflex volleys, along with powerful drives from both wings a feature until the clutch moment, with Sinner ending the point with a backhand passing shot winner that left his rival stranded at the baseline.
Vagnozzi later said he believed that Sinner’s youth was not misspent on the slopes, for it has helped him immeasurably on the court.
“I think for the balance that you have when you ski, (it) is something that can help you for sure,” Vagnozzi said.
“Sometimes when someone speaks about Jannik, they speak just about his groundstrokes or his power. But for me, like a coach, when you ask him something, he’s able to do it quite fast.
“So this one is really important talent to have for a tennis player, for other sport. I think a lot of it’s natural. He could be a good skier or good football player. (Luckily) he choose tennis.”
Zverev would have held a point to square the set had it fallen his way. But it did not. Among Sinner’s spectacular array of weapons, camouflaged is his lock down ability.
Similarly to Djokovic, who would play with more margin and make opponents beat him deep in sets when the nerves and tension are peaking, Sinner rarely gifts big points.
Then there is the power. Wow. Listen to Sinner striking the ball and the sound of the racquet carries more noise than most of his rivals. Thwack. That tells part of the story. His coach Darren Cahill has likened the sound to the noise that came from Andre Agassi’s racquet.
The speed gun tells another. His forehand and backhand are hit faster than most rivals.
When the Italian first emerged on the scene, highlighting his potential when whipping Alex de Minaur to win the 2019 Next Gen Final, Sinner’s average forehand speed was 5kmh quicker than the tour average.
Over the Australian Open it has been about 8kmh quicker, with the forehand about 6kmh speedier than the tournament average. His depth and precision are superb, too.
Given he is rarely pushed too far behind the baseline, when Sinner is on song, it is a nightmarish equation for his rivals as he robs them of their breath and time in rallies.
He may not show much emotion but there is a beauty in watching a competitor play with relentless brilliance, though clearly not if you are sharing the court with him.
Ask Zverev. Ask de Minaur. At times they are spectators in the match they are playing, with the German stating he was outplayed completely by the third set of the AO final.
“He’s very, very similar to Novak when he was at his best. They barely miss. They make you think like you have to overhit all the time to have a chance in a rally against them,” Zverev said.
“It’s very, very difficult to win a point from the back of the court against them, against Novak and him. They’re constantly on the baseline. They don’t give you any space. They don’t give you any time. Yeah, I mean, just right now, (he’s) too good for me.”
WHAT COMES NEXT FOR SINNER?
What comes next for the 23-year-old is fascinating both on and off the tennis court.
The logical targets on the court are breaking through for maiden titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
His coach Vagnozzi believes he is more than capable of succeeding on the natural surfaces, pointing to his runs to the semifinals at both events in recent years.
Sinner, from his perspective, pointed to the fact that he had never played on grass as a junior and that it is a surface he is still learning to play on.
“On hard court I feel more comfortable. I think that we can see. But I take it as positive, because on the other surfaces I still have to improve, I have to see how it works,” he said.
“I’m going to put a lot of energy in that, trying to find the right ways, and hopefully to go far also in the other Grand Slams which are not played on hard court. Then we see.”
The off-court situation is the elephant in the room.
Having played much of 2024 under a doping cloud after recording positive tests to Clostebol at Indian Wells, he was cleared by the US hardcourt season and went on to win the US Open.
But WADA has appealed the clearance and Sinner faces a Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing into the matter.
While on top of the world at the moment, he may yet receive a suspension that would preclude him from featuring in the majors he is yet to win, among other tournaments.
“As I always say, I keep playing like this because I have a clear mind on what happened. If I know if I would be guilty, I would not play like this, and that’s it,” he said.
“I still believe every time it came out in a very positive way, and I still believe it’s going to be that case. That’s it. At the moment I’m not thinking about this.
“Of course, you have your moments of certain days where you feel like I wish I would not have this problem. In the other way, I’m always looking forward to go on court, trying to understand.”
When it comes to Zverev, his goal is simple. Having now fallen in finals in Melbourne, Paris and New York, he is determined to make sure it never happens again.
“I don’t want to end my career as the best player of all time to never win a Grand Slam, that’s for sure,” he said.
“I’ll keep doing everything I can to lift one of those trophies.”
HOW ABOUT THE DEMON?
The dust has settled and the crowning of Sinner as the Australian Open champion for the second year in succession provides additional context regarding Alex de Minaur’s exit.
Even though de Minaur was mauled by the Italian champion in a quarterfinal, the Australian has reason to hold his head high for several reasons including his form on the court.
It is the first time the world No.8 has reached the quarterfinals here. It is also his fourth straight quarterfinal at a major and his fifth overall. That is one measure of his consistency.
Another is the fact he has now made the second week at a major 11 times in 29 attempts, with seven of those coming in the last nine grand slams he has played.
The question, as has been the case since he assumed the ranking as Australia’s top man, is whether he will be able to ascend to the status that he clearly desires, namely to be a grand slam champion. The manner of his defeat here led many to predict it is a bridge too far.
But the Australian, who continues to improve and work on methods to bridge the gap between himself and the Sinners and Alcarazs, could take a leaf from Madison Keys.
It was after finding peace with the prospect that she might never become the grand slam champion she wanted to be that she was able to flourish and seize her moment in Melbourne.
Andy Murray, who was said to lack the weapons to bring down the Federers and Nadals and Djokovics, underwent a similar reckoning before raising the bar.
And even if de Minaur does not take the big step, it is improbable he will not find himself in a semifinal and perhaps a decider if he continues to improve given his consistency.
In chats shared with foxsports.com.au and International Tennis Writers Association president Simon Cambers, Aussie greats Pat Cash and Todd Woodbridge praised the “Demon”.
Cash, the 1987 Wimbledon champion, said there are three clear standouts at the moment. It takes no guesses as to who they are. But he said it is important de Minaur keeps pressing.
“I think the fairest thing to say is that there’s two people in the lead. And clearly we know that it is Sinner and Alcaraz,” Cash said.
“Djokovic, obviously, he’s going to be still there and thereabouts. Whether he’ll win another one, I don’t know. So let’s just say there are three people who can win grand slams at the moment.
“That’s a lot different from the last generation when there were four with Murray, (Stan) Wawrinka five, (Marin) Cilic, six, (Kei) Nishikori and … up to 10 players who could win a grand slam. Obviously the Big Four were the obvious ones. But now you’re looking and going that there’s two (though) maybe Djokovic has another one in him.
“It will take some doing but there is definitely an opportunity for Alex to go deep. There’s not many guys actually getting into the second week, but de Minaur is and they have a chance to run deep. You need a bit of luck, you need an injury, and then you’re looking at a possibility of a final.”
Woodbridge, for his part, likened the Australian to the former Spanish star David Ferrer, a superb baseliner with brilliant speed who consistently punched about his weight division.
A former world No.3, Ferrer stood only 1.75m but reached a Roland Garros final, semifinals at the Australian and US Opens and quarterfinals at Wimbledon. He clinched 27 titles around the world and also pocketed more than A$43 million.
As it stands, de Minaur has won nine ATP Tour titles, played in the ATP Tour Finals and Davis Cup deciders and earned more than A$24 million by the age of 25.
Woodbridge, who assisted the de Minaurs’ return to Australia after he spent part of his childhood in Spain, said prior to the AO that not everybody has to be a Sinner.
“He’s more of a modern day (Lleyton) Hewitt but (last) year, almost at Wimbledon, Alex had his chance, perhaps, and got injured,” Woodbridge said.
“He needs a bit of luck, because he is the sort of player who can get through to a semifinal or maybe a final, but could get blown away by the power and pizzazz of an Alcaraz … and also Sinner, right?
“But there’s nothing wrong with having an Australian version of David Ferrer, who’s always there and, if the moment arises, and you’ve done the work, you can walk through that door.
“That’s what your development programs have to create, those opportunities and depth of playing groups to allow those results to happen.”
The 25-year-old is expected to lead Australia in a Davis Cup tie against Sweden next weekend and then return to Rotterdam, where he lost to Sinner in last year’s final, in early February.
DID WE JUST WITNESS THE GREATEST TITLE RUN THIS CENTURY?
It’s always hard to win a slam. It’s always very hard to win your first.
But Madison Keys turned up the difficulty level – if this was Mario Kart, she wasn’t even on 150cc. Try 500 instead.
The 29-year-old’s draw on route to the Australian Open title was arguably the toughest this century, beating four top-10 seeds including the top two. And that still understates it.
While a viral stat has claimed the average ranking of Keys’ opponents was just 12.3, that is incorrect; after all she faced the world No.125 in the second round.
But after two simple matches to begin the tournament, Keys’ draw went to an absurd level, as she had to beat Danielle Collins (world No.11), Elena Rybakina (No.7), Elina Svitolina (No.27), Iga Swiatek (No.2) and Aryna Sabalenka (No.1).
And keep in mind Svitolina is better than her ranking suggests; she’s a former world No.3 who has made four slam quarter-finals since becoming a mother in late 2022, and beat the world No.4 at this very event.
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Keys is the fourth woman to beat four top-10 seeds on route to a slam in the Open Era, joining Evonne Goolagong (Wimbledon 1980), Mary Pierce (Australian Open 1995) and Li Na (French Open 2011).
So her run was epic. Compare it to Ash Barty’s 2022 title path; we don’t want to discount the pressure she faced at her home slam, but the Aussie didn’t face a player ranked in the top 20, with Jessica Pegula (then No.21), Keys (then No.51) and Danielle Collins (then No.30) her final three opponents.
In fact Barty played a much tougher tournament earlier in the same month – the Adelaide International, where she beat Coco Gauff (then No.22), Sofia Kenin (then No.12), Iga Swiatek (then No.9) and Elena Rybakina (then No.14) on route to the title.
That shows just how wildly different draws can be, and particularly at grand slams, where a top seed being upset has a major flow-on effect. (And it makes us feel sad about Barty’s early retirement.)
Most importantly for Keys were her wins in the final two matches, where she could’ve easily gone into her shell and felt the demons of past brutal defeats in the semis and finals of grand slams.
Instead, she saved a match point against Swiatek (becoming the 16th woman in the Open Era to win a title after doing this), and beat the world No.1 and No.2. She’s the first woman to do that at a slam since Svetlana Kuznetsova beat both Serena Williams and Dinara Safina at the 2009 French Open.
Keys is the first woman to do it in the semis and finals of a slam since Venus Williams downed Maria Sharapova and Lindsay Davenport at Wimbledon 2005.
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We don’t have the exact numbers on how hard Keys’ draw is compared to everyone else this century, but it’s at least one of the toughest since one of the first tournaments Keys ever saw.
At just four years old, Keys was inspired to play tennis by a dress Venus Williams wore at Wimbledon 1999.
Later that year, Serena Williams had one of the greatest runs in slam history to claim her first major title, beating five future Hall of Famers at the US Open – Kim Clijsters, No.16 Conchita Martinez, No.4 Monica Seles, No.2 Lindsay Davenport, and No.1 Martina Hingis.
At least two players that Keys vanquished, Sabalenka and Swiatek, will be inducted one day. Rybakina is good enough to win a few more slams and get there if she stays healthy too.
But a note on Keys’ personal journey, too. Because she was tipped to win slams as early as 14 years old – but understandably, she found the weight of expectations difficult to take.
In fact Keys got to the point where she felt like if she never won a major, “then I wouldn’t have lived up to what people thought I should have been. That was a pretty heavy burden to kind of carry around.
“I think as I got older and I had gotten close and it didn’t happen, and then it’s you’re getting older, you’re obviously in the later stages of your career, it kind of feels like, Will this ever actually happen? If it doesn’t happen, I didn’t live up to what everyone told me I should have done.
“So I think it kind of almost felt like it went from being something positive to something that was almost, like, a little bit of a panic of, Why hasn’t it happened yet? Why haven’t I been able to do it?
“It really started to kind of weigh on me more where it was, What if I never do it? If I don’t do it, am I considered a failure?”
But, with the help of therapy and maturity, she explained: “I finally got to the point where I was proud of myself and proud of my career, with or without a Grand Slam. I finally got to the point where I was okay if it didn’t happen. I didn’t need it to feel like I had a good career or that I deserved to be talked about as a great tennis player.
“I feel like finally letting go of that kind of internal talk that I had just gave me the ability to actually go out and play some really good tennis to actually win a Grand Slam.”
It’s proof of how critical the mental side of tennis is. She always had the talent within her; playing with freedom allowed Keys to not just live up to the hype, but do it in a simply remarkable way.
WHAT NEXT FOR THE FALLEN STARS?
With the Australian Open complete, the circus will leave Melbourne on Monday bound for Europe, South America and the Middle East.
The next combined gathering will occur in the magnificent Coachella Valley at Indian Wells in March, while the next major at Roland Garros on clay is still months away.
The champions aside, this Open raised some fascinating questions and it will be intriguing to see how some of the world’s premium players rebound from their experience in Melbourne.
As brilliantly as Novak Djokovic played to reach the semifinals, whether he can break yet another record in his phenomenal career as the oldest man to win a major is in question.
The King of Melbourne Park posted an image of the tear in his hamstring as a parting shot to those who queried the severity of the injury before his withdrawal against Zverev.
He will be 38 when he arrives in Paris for Roland Garros, a tournament he has won three times. But he went the entirety of his 37th year without a major and faces a task ahead.
Ken Rosewall had only celebrated his 37th birthday a few weeks prior to defeating Mal Anderson in the 1972 Australian Open when he set the record that still stands.
Djokovic’s great rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal made their final triumphant run in a major aged 36. It is the year Djokovic won his last major at the US Open in 2023.
His best, as evidenced in his victory over Carlos Alcaraz in a quarterfinal, is still good enough. Managing to hold his body together to complete the fortnight is the challenge.
Time is still on the side of Aryna Sabalenka, who was edged in a thrilling final by popular breakthrough winner Madison Keys on Saturday night on Rod Laver Arena.
It ended a stunning winning streak in Melbourne at 20 matches but the defeat clearly stung her, as evidenced in the tantrum she threw after congratulating the American at the net.
Will the pain from that defeat prove the catalyst that drives the world No.1 to success at either Roland Garros or Wimbledon, which are the two majors to elude her so far?
Similarly, after a run of outs at majors away from Roland Garros, Iga Swiatek arrived in Australia with a new coaching team and produced her best form to date here.
It took a magnificent effort from Keys in the semifinal to deny her in an epic. Should she carry that form, the race for the top ranking with Sabalenka shapes as an intriguing one.
Speaking of star factors, it will be intriguing to see how Alcaraz bounces out of another early Australian Open exit and into a season where he is defending Roland Garros and Wimbledon titles.
The Spaniard still has one more crack in Melbourne to take from Donald Budge the record as the youngest man to complete the career grand slam. He will be only 22 next January.
In every other way the four-time major winner has time. But the clock is ticking on his bid for that extraordinary claim to fame.
