Jannik Sinner secured his second consecutive Australian Open title on Sunday with a commanding performance, never allowing a single break point and showcasing his all-around game to dominate Alexander Zverev in a 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory.
The 23-year-old Italian became the youngest man to win back-to-back Australian Open championships since Jim Courier achieved the feat in 1992-93.
Since ascending to World No. 1 last June, Sinner has maintained his top ranking every week, and the gap between him and No. 2 Alexander Zverev was evident in the Rod Laver Arena showdown.
This marked the first Australian Open final between the top two men’s seeds since 2019, when Novak Djokovic, then No. 1, defeated Rafael Nadal, the No. 2, in straight sets.
Sinner has claimed three of the last five major titles, including the US Open in September, compiling an impressive 80-6 record during that period and securing a total of nine tournament victories. His current unbeaten streak stands at 21 matches, dating back to last year.
However, Sinner’s stellar year has not been without controversy. A doping case briefly cast a shadow over his achievements after he tested positive for a trace amount of an anabolic steroid twice in March.
Sinner attributed the results to accidental exposure involving two team members, both of whom have since been dismissed. He was initially cleared of wrongdoing in August, but the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the ruling, with a hearing scheduled for April.
Despite the off-court challenges, Sinner has etched his name in the history books as the eighth man in the Open Era (since 1968) to start his career 3-0 in Grand Slam finals.
In contrast, Alexander Zverev, with this defeat, joins a different list as the seventh player to begin 0-3 in major finals, adding this loss to his 2020 US Open and 2024 French Open runner-up finishes.
Zverev’s previous Grand Slam final losses were grueling five-set battles, but this match was far from competitive.
The only moment that carried a hint of tension came late in the second set when Zverev, leading 5-4, got to love-30 on Sinner’s serve and was just two points away from claiming the set. Yet, he couldn’t capitalise, failing to generate a break point or a set point.
Instead, Sinner responded emphatically, winning four consecutive points to level the set at 5-all before clinching the subsequent tiebreaker. That outcome was hardly surprising – Sinner went 4-0 in tiebreaks throughout the tournament and has now won 16 of his last 18 such deciders.
A year ago, Sinner faced much tougher challenges on his way to securing his first Grand Slam title. He had to overcome Novak Djokovic, who retired with a torn hamstring in his semifinal against Zverev on Friday, before staging a remarkable comeback from two sets down in the final against 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev.
By defeating Zverev in this year’s final, Sinner became the first man since Rafael Nadal at the French Open in 2005 and 2006 to successfully defend his title at the same tournament a year after his maiden Grand Slam victory.