Jannik Sinner rallies from two sets down to win men’s Australian Open final over Daniil Medvedev, win first grand slam title
Jannik Sinner celebrates a point during the men’s Australian Open final against Daniil Medvedev. Alessandra Tarantino/AP CNN —
Jannik Sinner overcame a two-set deficit to defeat Russia’s Daniil Medvedev 3-6 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-3 in a thrilling five-set final and claim the men’s Australian Open title on Sunday, becoming the first Italian man to win a grand slam since 1976.
The 22-year-old’s remarkable comeback capped off a special tournament for Sinner, one in which he had defeated world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals on route to his first-ever grand slam final and ended with his maiden major title.
Such drama provided a fitting finale for a tournament which has featured an incredible 35 five-set thrillers, equaling the Open Era record for any grand slam, as Medvedev raced to a two-set lead, initially heaping pressure on the young Italian who was left defending from every corner of the court in the wake of the No. 3 seed’s precise, aggressive approach.
But, as the match went on, Sinner fought back, readjusted his own tactics and began outlasting his opponent during longer rallies. Suddenly, he had won the third set, breaking Medvedev for the first time as the Russian served to stay in the set and the tide began to shift.
That momentum carried Sinner through the fourth and fifth sets as he overturned the deficit and became the youngest male player to win the Australian Open since 2008.
This is a developing story and will be updated.