Sunday saw a thrilling five-set encounter between Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev end with the Italian claiming the Australian Open. It is the first major title in the career of the 22-year-old, and his talent suggests many more could soon be forthcoming.
It was hardly straightforward, however, with Medvedev rushing into a two-set lead. Displaying his trademark cunning, the Russian surprised Sinner in the early exchanges with an unusually aggressive approach. Most predicted Sinner would take the game to his opponent; however, the opposite was true, and the first set was claimed 6-3 in relatively comfortable fashion.
The theme continued into the second set, but halfway through, Sinner appeared to gain momentum, and while it was not sufficient to salvage the set, it signalled a crucial change in the course of the final. The third and fourth sets were fierce duels, which both times saw Sinner score the crucial break in the final game of the set.
The two finalists took vastly different routes to the showpiece event, with Medvedev spending more time on court than any other player has in a single Grand Slam and Sinner dropping just a solitary set; however, this should not take away from Sinner’s triumph in the match’s deciding set, a clinical end to an outstandingly executed tournament.
Sinner’s recent rise perhaps signals a changing of the guards in the sport. The Big Three of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic have been so dominant for so long that generations of players have lost their chance of Grand Slam glory; only two men born in the 1990s have won a Grand Slam title, of which Medvedev is one. However, the emergence of Alcaraz and Sinner may finally offer a genuine alternative to the older generation of stars. Both are now Grand Slam champions, and Alcaraz’s herculean victory over Djokovic in last year’s Wimbledon final, along with Sinner’s semi-final demolition of Djokovic en route to this final, could represent seminal turning points in the history of the sport.
Sinner’s win also makes him the first Italian man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Adriano Panatta in 1976, almost five decades ago. For a nation with as much love for tennis as Italy, this wait has been far too long, but Sinner’s potential means this title is surely the first of many.
“Australian Open 2015” by Visit Victoria is licensed under CC BY 2.0.