MELBOURNE – Jannik Sinner’s Australian Open victory is an emphatic statement that he is among the elite group of newcomers finally challenging the established order.
The 22-year-old was ranked a lowly 17th after 2023’s tournament in Melbourne, where he lost a gruelling five-setter to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fourth round.
But he showed on Jan 28 he now belongs in the top bracket, coming from two sets down to beat third seed Daniil Medvedev 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in three hours and 44 minutes.
Sinner ended last season with four ATP Tour titles, including his first Masters crown in Toronto, and added gloss by leading Italy to their first Davis Cup crown since 1976.
He also reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon and the ATP Finals decider, both times being defeated by Serbia’s world No. 1 Novak Djokovic.
But he turned the tables in the semi-finals in Melbourne, recording a momentous victory over the 10-time Australian Open champion for his third win against the Serb in four meetings.
One striking aspect of Sinner’s performances is his extraordinary air of calm on court.
He squandered a match point against Djokovic that could have proved fatal as the top seed won the third-set tiebreak, but took his next opportunity 55 minutes later.
“I’m really relaxed, to be honest. I just try to work as hard as possible and in my mind I feel like the hard work always pays off,” he said.
“If this can happen, it’s good. If not, I gave 100 per cent, and the rest I cannot control.”
The fourth seed is enjoying life on the road with coaches Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi.
“He (Cahill) helped not only me but I think the whole team to believe in ourselves, but also to enjoy, because we travel so much around the world, and to enjoy the time together is really important,” said Sinner.
“I think the combination with him and also with Simone, it’s awesome on the court. I think at the moment we are handling everything in the right way.”
A career in professional tennis was not a given for Sinner, who grew up in the German-speaking north of Italy.
He was a champion skier as a youngster and still enjoys the sport in the off-season. He was also a keen footballer.
Sinner was named the 2019 ATP Newcomer of the Year but he has struggled to make his mark at the Majors, with the semi-finals at Wimbledon being his best performance before this Australian Open.
The Italian is not the first of the new generation of players to make his move – he admits he is still behind 20-year-old rival Carlos Alcaraz, who already has two Slams under his belt.
“When we play, potentially it’s always a good match-up, but at the moment we also have to say that he is further than I am,” he said.
Nicola Pietrangeli, one of only two other Italians to win a Grand Slam men’s singles title, believes his compatriot has the edge in the rivalry, describing him as a “phenomenon”.
The 90-year-old, who won the French Open in 1959 and 1960, believes Sinner and Alcaraz will battle it out in the rankings.
“I see Sinner more as the new boss than Alcaraz, because with Alcaraz, it’s strange, he plays very well, then very badly,” he said.
“Some said that his (Sinner’s) service was too weak, but he now serves at more than 200kmh. He has no weak point.
“He always has a smile, he’s happy with what he’s experiencing. He’s not like some people who show off while they earn millions and millions.” AFP
