Jannik Sinner staged a remarkable comeback from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final on Sunday, securing his first Grand Slam title. The Italian fourth seed triumphed 3-6 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-3 in a grueling three-hour and 44-minute contest on Rod Laver Arena.
Sinner, 22, became the first Italian man to win a Grand Slam since Adriano Panatta in 1976 and the youngest Australian Open champion since Novak Djokovic in 2008. He fired 14 aces and 50 winners, breaking Medvedev's serve four times.
Medvedev, who also squandered a two-set lead in the 2022 final against Rafael Nadal, was left to rue another missed opportunity. The Russian third seed had spent nearly six hours more on court than Sinner in the tournament but started strongly, dominating the first two sets.
Sinner struggled to find his rhythm early, but turned the match around in the third set. He broke Medvedev in the 10th game to close the gap, then leveled the match by breaking again in the 10th game of the fourth set. The Italian seized the decisive break in the sixth game of the final set and served out for victory.
“I’m feeling great, I just have to process it all,” Sinner said. “It was a great match and a great opportunity and I took it in the right way.” Medvedev, who has now lost five of his six major finals, praised his opponent: “You fought to the end and you managed to raise your level.”
