Latest news with #wwos
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Unsure about his future, Sinner only vows to get better
It's a frightening prospect for his rivals, but a jubilant Jannik Sinner insists he's not even close to peaking after etching his name alongside tennis titans Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in the sport's record books. Sinner's one-sided 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 victory on Sunday night over Alexander Zverev in the first Australian Open final featuring the world's top two players in six years not only earned the Italian a third major in 12 heady months. The straight-sets rout also elevated the 23-year-old to rarefied air alongside Djokovic and Federer as only the third man since Open-era tennis began in 1968 to snare three consecutive hard-court grand slam crowns. "It feels amazing," Sinner said after successfully defending his crown and being feted by fans after the trophy ceremony at Melbourne Park. "Obviously, it was a very, very long run to have this one again. It is definitely a different feeling for sure. "I know how much work I put into this one and, having this one twice, it's amazing. "You have a different kind of pressure as defending champion. You have different kind of expectation because you know you can do it, potentially. "It was a different run from last year. I struggled. But this is the reason why I kept going - the crowd. It means so much to me." A #performance worthy of a champion.#HaierGlobal • #MoreCreationMorePossibilities • #AusOpen • #AO2025 • @wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2025 In addition to his two Australian Open titles, captured either side of hoisting the US Open trophy for the first time in 2024, Sinner won the season-ending ATP Finals championship and spearheaded Italy's successful Davis Cup defence. Yet he is vowing to get even better in 2025 and beyond. "Maybe the second serve could be a little bit more aggressive and trying to sneak into the net a little bit more," he said. "For sure, there are some areas where I can improve. "I also want to be a better player. I'm not only seeing the result. "It is important in one year's time to say 'OK, I have improved as a player' and that is much more important." But while he is now halfway towards also joining Djokovic as the only man since Rod Laver in 1969 to holding all four grand slam titles simultaneously, Sinner's participation in the next major at the French Open in May remains in doubt. The world No.1 faces a potential ban of at least one year when he fronts the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland in April for alleged doping. The World Anti Doping Authority is challenging a decision last year by the International Tennis Integrity Agency not to suspend Sinner for what the ITIA deemed to be accidental contamination by a banned anabolic steroid in March. That closed-doors hearing will take place in Lausanne on April 16-17, casting a cloud over Sinner's immediate future - and his quest for more grand slam spoils in 2025 and possibly 2026. "Honesty, having difficulties especially in the tough moments and how I handled them, I know exactly this will help me in the future," he said. "But I also want to enjoy this one because this one has a different feeling, has a different perspective, this trophy. "It's difficult to talk about the future. But this one means so much to me."
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hard-court king of men's tennis Jannik Sinner crowned Australian Open champion
Jannik Sinner cemented his status as the hard-court king of men's tennis with his second-consecutive Australian Open title. The world number one defeated Alexander Zverev 6-3 7-6 (4) 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena, making him the first Italian man or woman to hold three grand slam singles titles. Sinner has not lost a match on hard courts at a major since a defeat by Zverev in the fourth round of the US Open in 2023, following up his maiden title here last year by winning in New York. 3 Grand Slam wins, 2 #AusOpen titles, 1 JANNIK SINNER 😍 Dominated from start to finish 👏@janniksin • #AO2025 — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2025 A repeat never looked on the cards, with Sinner showcasing all the qualities that have made him virtually untouchable on the surface. As well as a 21st-consecutive hard-court win at slams, it also extended his current career-best winning run at all levels to 21 matches dating back to a final loss in Beijing in early October, while he has won 47 of his first 50 matches as world number one, equalling the ATP record. After his final backhand flew past Zverev, Sinner – who continues to put the uncertainty over his ongoing doping case to the back of his mind – thrust his arms into the air in triumph. The defeat means Zverev's search for a first slam title goes on, with the German now having lost finals in New York, Paris and Melbourne. The other two were five-set battles he might have won but he was under pressure from the start here thanks to his opponent's relentless ball striking and superb movement. Zverev landed 81 per cent of his first serves in the opening set but still faced six break points and, on the last of them in the eighth game, an ill-advised foray to the net proved his undoing. Sinner's ability to not just retrieve balls but fire winners while on the stretch is extraordinary and he soon had Zverev under pressure in the second set as well. But this time the second seed, who had benefited from Novak Djokovic's retirement after one set of their semi-final, repelled the threat and began to find some success on the front foot. Sinner dug himself out of a hole at 0-30 in the 10th game and then had the crowd on their feet by winning an amazing back-and-forth rally at 30-30 in his next service game, finally sending a winner past Zverev and standing with fist clenched in quiet celebration. Neither man shows much emotion on court and this baseline slugging match was largely a difficult one for the crowd to get into. 🤯🤯🤯 Sit down, settle in and enjoy the two best players in the world at their best. And then watch it again!@janniksin • @alexzverev • @wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis • #AusOpen • #AO2025 — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2025 Zverev needed to win the second set tie-break to insert some jeopardy into proceedings but he was left cursing his luck when a Sinner shot dropped off the top of the net at 4-4 for a winner. Moments later, a forehand from the Italian landed on the outside of the line to seal the set and Zverev slammed his racket angrily onto his bag in response. Sinner had been two sets down to Daniil Medvedev in the final last year before fighting back but his opponent could find no way into the contest and another break of serve at 2-3 was the final nail in his coffin.
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 Australian Open: Jannik Sinner goes back-to-back, beating Alexander Zverev for third Grand Slam title
Defending Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner has done it again. Sinner topped Alexander Zverev in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6, 5-3 in the 2025 Australian Open final, cementing his third career Grand Slam title. The world No. 1 was in control nearly the entire match against No. 2 Zverev, repeating as Australian Open champion and winning his 19th overall title. Sinner won the 2024 Australian Open and US Open, and made it to the semifinals of the 2024 French Open and Wimbledon in 2023. With the win, 23-year-old Sinner becomes the first Italian man to win three majors. Sinner and Zverev have met six times before, with Zverev winning four of those matchups. In their last meeting, Sinner topped Zverev in the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open. Sinner started strong during a back-and-forth first set, and Zverev was clearly frustrated toward the end of it as he struggled with his forehand. Advantage Sinner, 6-3. Zverev looked and played more confidently in the second set, where Sinner showed some signs of strain, grabbing at his left hamstring, which also hobbled him in his semifinal win over Ben Shelton. But Sinner never let Zverev run away with it, and the set went to a tiebreak, which Sinner won 7-4 to take the second set 7-6. Zverev, who seemingly had issues with his racquets during the match, returned to the sideline and smashed one in frustration. Up to that point, both players were 3-0 in tiebreaks during the tournament. Sinner's serving accuracy 🤯🤯🤯Sit down, settle in and enjoy the two best players in the world at their then watch it again!@janniksin • @alexzverev • @wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis • #AusOpen • #AO2025 — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2025 From there, Sinner cruised. Zverev was clearly flagging, his body language defeated, and the third set was the least competitive of the match. Sinner didn't face a break point on Sunday and his serving accuracy shined. 💥🔨Hard to stop when he's in this mood and this groove!@janniksin holds, breaks and leads this crucial third set 4-2@wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis • #AusOpen • #AO2025 — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2025 Sinner now holds a 21-match win streak at hardcourt majors; his last loss came at the 2023 US Open against Zverev in the round of 16. En route to the final in Melbourne, Sinner topped 21-seed Shelton, 8-seed Alex de Minaur, 13-seed Holger Rune, Marcos Giron, Tristan Schoolkate and Nicolas Jerry. Zverev has 23 career titles but has never won a Grand Slam — the closest he's come was the 2024 French Open final, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz, and the 2020 US Open, which Dominic Thiem won. Zverev made it to the final after 7-seed Novak Djokovic withdrew from their semifinal, and beat 12-seed Tommy Paul, Ugo Humbert, Jacob Fearnley, Pedro Martinez and Lucas Pouille.
