Jannik Sinner Tops Daniil Medvedev in Australian Open Final

Jannik Sinner is a Grand Slam champion.

The 22-year-old became the youngest Italian player ever to capture a major tennis championship Sunday night by defeating Daniil Medvedev, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3, in the Australian Open men’s final in Melbourne.

The No. 4-seed Sinner overcame a two-set deficit for only the second time as a professional to edge the third-seeded Medvedev and become the first Italian champion of the Australian Open.

“I still have to process it, because … beating Novak [Djokovic] in the semis and then today Daniil in the final, they are tough players to beat,” Sinner said afterward. “So it’s a great moment for me and my team. But in the other way, we also know that we have to improve if we want to have another chance to hold a big trophy again.”

Upon winning the match in three hours and 44 minutes, the victorious Sinner collapsed on his back at the baseline and absorbed the moment.

Sinner became the youngest man to win the Australian Open since 21-year-old Novak Djokovic won the tournament in 2008. Coincidentally, Sinner upset the top-seeded Djokovic in the semifinals of this year’s tournament.

The match was even more competitive than the close score might indicate. Of the 283 points played, Sinner won 142 of them to Medvedev’s 141.

Medvedev is the first player in the Open era to lose two Grand Slam finals after holding a two-set lead. He also lost the ’22 Australian Open final, to Rafael Nadal, after winning the first two sets.

“I want to congratulate Jannik because today you showed it again why you deserve it,” Medvedev said afterward. “Probably that’s not your last Grand Slam, but I hope I can try to get the next one if you play in the final.”

Sinner is the first Italian man to win a Grand Slam tournament since Adriano Panatta captured the 1976 French Open title. Medvedev set an Open-era record by spending 24 hours and 17 minutes on court during the tournament, including four matches that went to five sets.