January 28th 2024.
In a thrilling final match on Sunday, Jannik Sinner emerged as the victor over Daniil Medvedev in a five-set battle. It was a monumental achievement for the Italian, who also admitted that dethroning Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals made his Australian Open triumph even more special.
Sinner, currently ranked fourth in the world, made a stunning comeback in the final after being down two sets to love against the third-seeded Medvedev. This win marked his first Grand Slam title, and he became the first new winner in the men's singles at Melbourne Park in a decade.
Going into the Australian Open, Djokovic was the clear favorite to win his 11th title and extend his record-breaking Grand Slam singles trophy tally to 25. However, his hopes were dashed when he lost to Sinner in the semi-finals, making way for the new Italian champion. During his press conference after the final, Sinner was asked if it felt extra special to win his first Grand Slam title while Djokovic is still dominating the tennis scene.
Sinner responded, "It feels special when you see the big names in the draw and you can win it, yes. Because I feel even more privileged to only be in the draw and then trying to win against other players. The more you go on, you see less people around in the locker room or in the eating area. This makes you feel, okay, I'm making a good tournament at the moment. And that was exactly the feeling what I had in the last three rounds or so, because from quarters there is quite empty. That's a really, really good feeling."
Djokovic, who saw his incredible 33-match winning streak in Melbourne come to an end with his defeat to Sinner, sent a congratulatory message to his rival after the final, acknowledging that Sinner deserved to come out on top this year.
"Bravo Jannik," Djokovic posted on Instagram. "Deserved. Congratulations to your team and your family." The world's number two player, Carlos Alcaraz, who surprisingly lost in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, also congratulated Sinner. "I am so happy for you Jannik!" Alcaraz wrote on social media. "You deserve it more than anyone! Enjoy the moment my friend!"
Following the conclusion of the final on Rod Laver Arena, Italian footballers Domenico Berardi and Guglielmo Vicario also sent messages to their compatriot Sinner. Berardi, a 27-time capped player for Italy, posted a clip of himself watching the final on Instagram with the caption, "Phenomenal. Never give up!!!" Tottenham goalkeeper Vicario shared a photo of Sinner on Instagram with a mind blown emoji, Italian flag emoji, trophy emoji, and blue heart emoji.
For Sinner, becoming the first Italian man to win the Australian Open is a momentous achievement, and he expressed his gratitude for the unwavering support he received from his team and his country throughout his journey. "It means a lot," Sinner said. "Maybe the most important, because the support I get throughout now already years, it's incredible. Being able to make them happy today, because I feel like that they push me also, that I can believe in myself and then having so much support, it's amazing."
He continued, "Having them, it's tough to say, because it's like the crowd, they give you... that's the reason why you play in one way. Because when the stadium is packed, 15,000 people, they are cheering for you or for your opponent. It's an amazing feeling just to go on court. Then obviously when you're in tough situation, you want to make a good match also. Like today, I was going so fast, I was two sets to love down, but all the people who came there to watch, I was, like, I have to at least trying to make it a match somehow, and that was today's case."
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