Jannik Sinner won his second successive Australian Open title in emphatic fashion, crushing opponent Alexander Zverev in straight sets 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3. While Zverev was largely overpowered by a relentless Sinner, his slightest hope came when he forced a tie-breaker in the second set. However, the tie-breaker did not go to plan. Tied at 4-4, Zverev lost a crucial point off his own serve, as the ball took a deflection off the net and bounced before he could reach. As Zverev ended up losing, his frustration was evident and the German could be seen smashing his racquet.

Having been beaten in the first set of the Australian Open 2025 final, Zverev kept himself alive in the second set right down to the tie-breaker. In the tie-breaker, Zverev took the lead as well a couple of times, and had the chance to maintain that with the tie-breaker score tied at 4-4.

However, Sinner’s return for the next point deflected off the net and fell before Zverev could reach it. It was a decisive point, meaning that Sinner took a 5-4 lead with two serves to follow.

As it turned out, Sinner closed out the tie-breaker 7-4, and took a two-set lead in the Australian Open 2025 final.

Zverev did not look pleased. The World No. 2 angrily smashed his racquet repeatedly against his seat, and then on top of other racquets that had been kept near it.

Photos: Alexander Zverev smashes his racquet

The fury was evident. Zverev did not manage a single break point against Sinner in the entire final, and this was a big opportunity lost to clinch a set.

World No. 1 Sinner dominantly closed out the third set 6-3 to win the final in straight sets, and secure a second consecutive Australian Open title.

He now joins Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only players to win consecutive Australian Open titles in the 21st century.

A clinical Jannik Sinner swept past Alexander Zverev to retain his Australian Open title Sunday and cement his status as the world’s dominant player, becoming the first Italian to win three Grand Slams. The 23-year-old came through a tense battle between the world’s top two players 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena, raising his arms in the air and looking to the sky in celebration. In doing so he became the first Italian, man or woman, to win three Grand Slams, surpassing Nicola Pietrangeli’s two.

The victory also thrust him alongside Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to successfully defend their Melbourne Park titles this century.

But it proved more misery for Germany’s Zverev, who remains one of the world’s best players never to taste Grand Slam glory, falling short once again in his third big final.

Ice-cool Sinner proved to be a tower of mental strength in Australia, with his defence coming against the backdrop of an ongoing doping case after he twice tested positive for traces of the steroid clostebol last year.

Hanging over his head has been a World Anti-Doping Agency appeal against his exoneration, with the global body seeking a long ban.

A hearing is scheduled at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for April.

But he cast all the worries aside to notch a 19th career title and extend his incredible win streak to 21 matches.

Last year, Sinner needed five sets to tame Daniil Medvedev and win his first Grand Slam, but it never looked like going the distance this time.

He opened with a statement ace and won his first two service games to love, with Zverev struggling to get himself into the contest.

The German fought back to save two break points and hold for 2-2, serving his way out of trouble.

He began to find his radar, taking four points off the next Sinner serve in a game that went to deuce twice as the rallies built.

Racing clear

But the dam finally burst in the eighth game.

Zverev saved three break points but had no answer to a fourth when he was beaten by a blazing passing shot to slump 5-3 behind.

Sinner took the set in 46 minutes and kept the pressure on in the second as cracks began to appear in his opponent’s game.

The Italian has a phenomenal ability to turn recovery shots into momentum-changing ones and he raced 15-40 clear on the Zverev serve at 1-1.

Once more, the second seed dug deep to cling on.

From then on they couldn’t be separated and it went to a tiebreak where Sinner got a lucky net cord that dribbled over to break for 5-4 and he streaked to a two-set lead.

Sinner has won all four tiebreaks he’s played in Melbourne and 16 from his last 18.

Zverev smashed his racquet in frustration at the changeover, and it didn’t get any better in the third set, worn down by the relentless Italian.

Sinner broke for 4-2 when Zverev sent a forehand long and there was no way back for the increasingly disillusioned 27-year-old.

Zverev came into the clash with a 4-2 record over Sinner, but all of those wins came before the Italian won a Grand Slam or rose to world number one.

Sinner won eight titles last year, including the US Open and season-ending ATP Finals, and was the first player since Federer in 2005 to go through a season without a defeat in straight sets.

Novak Djokovic’s injury retirement from his Australian Open semi-final after a gruelling first set on Friday, and his subsequent comments, have left question marks about how the last chapter of his great career might unfold. The 37-year-old Serbian came to Melbourne, where he won a record 10 titles, looking to break the all-time Grand Slam record of Margaret Court. He is tied with the Australian on 24 majors, as has been the case since he won the 2023 US Open. His bid for history is still on hold after shaking hands with German world number two Alexander Zverev after losing a first set tiebreak, unable to continue with a leg muscle tear.

Some fans booed as Djokovic ambled out Rod Laver Arena.

Asked afterwards if this could be his last year on the blue hard courts of Melbourne Park, the former world number one said: “I don’t know. There is a chance.

“Who knows? I’ll just have to see how the season goes,” said Djokovic, who will be ranked sixth next week and who has seen rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal both retire in recent years.

He added: “I want to keep going, but whether I’m going to have a revised schedule or not for the next year, I’m not sure.”

Djokovic fulfilled a career ambition by clinching Olympic gold last year but he did not win a major, with form, injury and younger rivals all getting in his way.

He pulled out a trump card for Melbourne, where he has had his greatest successes, hiring another former rival in Andy Murray as his coach.

Asked if their partnership would continue, he was non-committal.

“I don’t know. You know, we both were disappointed with what just happened, so we didn’t talk about the future steps,” he said.

“We are so fresh off the court. I’ll definitely have a chat with Andy and thank him for being here with me.

“You know, give him my feedback, which is of course positive, and see how he feels and we make the next step.”

‘I’ll keep going’

Djokovic will first need to get healthy.

He had his thigh heavily strapped in beating world number three Carlos Alcaraz, 16 years his junior, in the quarter-finals on Tuesday in impressive fashion.

He said on Friday that “I don’t know” the extent of the injury, with Doha on February 17-22 looming next on his schedule.

“Whether I’m going to play it or not, it really does depend on how quickly I recover. But I had success with quick recoveries in the past. Let’s see.”

The next Grand Slam of the year, the French Open, is in May-June.

Getting that all-time record will again be on his radar and he has won three Roland Garros titles, the last in 2023.

Djokovic appeared to be growing ominously into the Australian Open before injury struck.

He needed four sets to win his first two matches in Melbourne but then rolled back the years in the next two, and proved that class is permanent when he defeated four-time major champion Alcaraz in four sets.

He acknowledged that injuries were beginning to mount.

He had an operation on his right knee after being forced to withdraw ahead of his Roland Garros quarter-final in June.

He roared back to make the final at Wimbledon, losing to Alcaraz, and clinched gold back in the French capital in August.

The desire evidently burns bright, even if the body is increasingly creaking.

“It’s not like I’m worrying approaching every Grand Slam now whether I’m going to get injured or not, but statistics are against me in a way in the last couple of years,” he said.

“So it is true that, you know, getting injured quite a bit last few years.

“But I’ll keep going. I’ll keep striving to win more Slams.

“And as long as I feel that I want to put up with all of this, I’ll be around.”

The irresistible force of Aryna Sabalenka meets the unbreakable spirit of Madison Keys in an Australian Open women’s singles final on Saturday that promises to be a thunderous slugfest. Defending champion Sabalenka was hailed by beaten semi-finalist Paula Badosa as being so good it was “like she’s playing a PlayStation” after dishing out a merciless straight-sets bludgeoning to her good friend. The never-say-die American Keys, who will turn 30 next month, saved eight break points and a match point in a nerve-shredding final set against Iga Swiatek that went all the way to a 10-point tiebreak.

“Definitely some big-hitting. I think that is going to happen,” the powerful 19th seed Keys predicted of the final. “Not a lot of long points.”

Keys and Sabalenka have met five times previously, with the Belarusian winning four of them, most recently on the Beijing hard courts last year.

Keys’s sole win came on grass in Berlin in 2021.

“She’s playing incredible tennis,” said Sabalenka.

“She’s a very aggressive player, serving well, moving well. She’s in a great shape.

“It’s going to be a great battle. We had a lot of great battles in the past.”

Sabalenka will remain world number one after Swiatek’s defeat while Keys is guaranteed to be back in the top 10 for the first time since 2019 in the new rankings.

Both players are in rampant form and on 11-match win streaks after winning their respective warm-up events.

Melbourne queen

Sabalenka, the modern day queen of Melbourne Park, has won 20 straight matches on the famous blue hard courts.

If she makes it 21 it will see her complete a treble not witnessed this century.

The last person to achieve the three-peat in Melbourne was Martina Hingis in 1999 and only four other women have done it — Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles.

Three in a row is a rare achievement at any Slam and has only been done this century on three occasions.

At Roland Garros Justine Henin completed the treble in 2007 and Iga Swiatek emulated it last year.

Serena Williams won 23 Grand Slam singles titles but only managed a hat-trick once, at the US Open from 2012-14.

Sabalenka will be in her fifth Slam final, Keys in only her second, having lost the 2017 US Open final 6-3, 6-0 to Sloane Stephens.

“I’ve obviously thought of that match endlessly for the past eight years,” said Keys, who broke down in tears after beating Swiatek in a seesawing contest that lasted 2hr 35min.

“I was so consumed with being nervous and the moment that I never really gave myself a chance to actually play.

“You can also play tennis through that, I think is something that I’ve been working really hard on.

“That’s one of the biggest lessons that I can take from that US Open final.”

Novak Djokovic feels as mentally and emotionally motivated as he’s ever been, but the Serbian great admits to be being worried about his creaking body ahead of an Australian Open semi-final with “super dangerous” Alexander Zverev. The irrepressible 37-year-old put to bed any doubts about his ability to add to his 24 Grand Slam titles with a scintillating four-set takedown of Carlos Alcaraz in the Melbourne last eight on Tuesday.

But while the 10-time Australian champion was able to pull out every trick in the book to get past a man 16 years his junior, it took its toll.

He had to leave court for a medical timeout at 4-5 in the first set, returning with his upper left leg taped and on painkillers to battle through.

Asked whether it was a hamstring or groin problem, he did not want to elaborate, but said: “It’s very similar to what I had few years ago, 2023, to be exact.”

Djokovic famously won the 2023 Australian Open while managing an injury in the same area.

“I’ll take it day by day. Now it’s really about recovery,” he added.

“I’m concerned. I am, to be honest, physically. But if I manage somehow to be physically good enough, I think mentally, emotionally I’m as motivated as I can be.”

Zverev is into the semi-finals for a second straight year and is laser focused on finally winning a maiden Slam title after a decade of trying.

Last year at the same stage he crashed to Daniil Medvedev in five sets after holding a 2-0 lead and is understandably wary of Djokovic, even if he is carrying an injury.

“I’m going to prepare myself for a tough battle,” he said. “I’m going to prepare myself for a very intense and high-level match.”

Djokovic is equally cautious about the German, who is at a career-high world number two.

“I mean, I’m playing Zverev, who is in a great form, and he is going for his first Grand Slam. He’s been close. I mean, I’ve seen him play. I practised with him as well here,” he said.

“I think he loves the conditions. He’s got big serve. He’s super dangerous opponent on this surface against anyone.”

Grateful to Murray

Djokovic holds an 8-4 record over the 27-year-old and will be looking to new coach Andy Murray, who himself won three of his four meetings with Zverev, to establish a game plan.

The Scot has been a calm and collected presence in Djokovic’s courtside box during the tournament after the former rivals unexpectedly joined forces late last year.

The Serbian, who is into a record 50th Grand Slam semi-final, headed straight over to embrace him after beating Alcaraz.

“I feel more and more connected with Andy every day. We face challenges every single day. People don’t see that obviously,” said Djokovic.

“We try to make the most out of every day and grow together. He’s been as committed to my career and this tournament as he can be.

“So it was kind of a gesture of appreciation, respect for him, and the fact that he’s out there, and he doesn’t need to be. He accepted to work with me.

“He’s giving all his support to me, to the whole team, and trying to make it work.

“This (against Alcaraz) was a huge win for all of us, including Andy and myself, you know, for the relationship. That’s why I went to him, because I just felt very grateful that he’s there.”

Madison Keys came back from a set down to reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open Wednesday, beating Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. The American 19th seed moved into the last four at Melbourne Park for the third time, 10 years after her first, where she will meet either Iga Swiatek or Emma Navarro for a place in the final. Keys, who will be 30 next month, leads the WTA Tour with 12 wins this season and is now on a 10-match unbeaten streak after lifting the Adelaide title.

She had to show her resilience to fight back against Svitolina, who held the upper hand in the early stages.

“I felt like I kind of just had to start playing a little bit more aggressive and try to get to the net a little bit quicker,” admitted Keys, who had battled past former Melbourne finalists Elena Rybakina and Danielle Collins on her way to the last eight.

“She was, you know, controlling a lot of the points and making me run.

“So I felt like I needed to try to get the advantage a little bit quicker.

“And luckily, I was able to do that,” added Keys, who beat world number six Jessica Pegula in the Adelaide final and will now move back into the top 10 in the rankings.

The first set began in cagey fashion until the eighth game, when Svitolina converted her first break point as Keys went long to take a 5-3 lead.

She created three set points with an ace out wide and then sealed the opener in 33 minutes when Keys netted.

Keys, who was playing defensively in the first set, upped her pace at the start of the second.

The American created three break points in the fourth game but Svitolina negotiated them safely, the third via a lightning reflex volley at the net.

Keys was not to be denied, creating two more openings at 3-2, securing the second with a forehand winner from the baseline and serving out to level the match after 76 minutes.

With only a single dropped serve each, the next break was likely to be the pivotal one.

Keys created two more chances to break at 2-2, jumping all over the second of them with a backhand return winner to move ahead.

The winners kept flowing and she sealed her place in the last four in 1hr 53min.

Iga Swiatek showed no mercy as she ended “lucky loser” Eva Lys’s historic run at the Australian Open on Monday, the world number two marching into the quarter-finals 6-0, 6-1. There was to be no happy ending to Lys’s incredible story against the ruthless five-time Grand Slam champion from Poland, who will meet either Emma Navarro or Daria Kasatkina for a place in the semi-finals. “There’s a lot to improve. I don’t feel like I’m in my peak yet,” said Swiatek, who has dropped only two games in her last two matches.

“For sure, matches like that give me confidence and I feel like I’m playing a good game.”

Swiatek has a patchy record in Melbourne, only reaching the semi-finals once, in 2022, but warned she was in the mood this year.

“I usually didn’t feel comfortable at the Australian Open with my game,” she said.

“But this year it’s a bit better. So I’m just enjoying being on the court and off the court as well.

“Because for sure I have an amazing time here, and hopefully it’s gonna last even longer.”

Lys fleetingly threatened another shock when she created two break points in the opening game, but Swiatek stepped up her pace to save both.

From then on the result was inevitable and the former world number one showed the gulf in class as she flattened the German in an hour.

Swiatek conceded just 10 points in an opening set that lasted 24 minutes.

When Swiatek took a 3-0 lead in the second, an embarrassing “double bagel” 6-0, 6-0 scoreline loomed.

But Lys finally managed to hold her serve and raised her arms in celebration with her beaming smile eliciting a massive ovation from the packed Rod Laver Arena.

The 23-year-old Swiatek has been in imperious form, dropping just 11 games in her four wins at Melbourne Park.

For world number 128 Lys it was the end of what she called “an insane story”.

She made the last 16 after getting a reprieve into the main draw, having losing in qualifying, when 13th seed Anna Kalinskaya withdrew minutes before her opening match.

Had Lys advanced she would have become the first lucky loser in history to reach the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam tournament.

But the 23-year-old had already made history by reaching the fourth round at Melbourne Park, a feat not achieved by a women’s lucky loser since the tournament moved there in 1988.

File image of N Sriram Balaji.© X (Twitter)

A “very hot-headed” Novak Djokovic produced a vintage display to join Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open last 16 on Friday, but Naomi Osaka’s bid for a third Melbourne crown is over with injury. Also on day six, women’s defending champion Aryna Sabalenka “pushed to the limit” to set up an intriguing showdown with teenage talent Mirra Andreeva. Red-hot Coco Gauff was an emphatic winner once again to underline her title credentials. Djokovic, who is chasing a record-extending 11th Melbourne title and historic 25th Grand Slam crown, is on a collision course with Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.

Both kept that tantalising prospect alive with ruthless victories.

Under new coach and old rival Andy Murray, the 37-year-old Djokovic needed four sets in both of his opening two matches.

But not this time, swatting aside Czech 26th seed Tomas Machac 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 and letting out a roar at the end.

Djokovic also pointed to his ear and then someone in the Rod Laver Arena crowd.

“I am very hot-headed right now,” said the fiery Serb, but added: “This is definitely the best match I’ve played in the tournament.”

Djokovic, who needed a medical break in the second set and used an inhaler, faces 24th seed Jiri Lehecka next.

Spain’s Alcaraz, who raced into the last 32 for the loss of just 12 games, suffered a wobble in the third set against Portugal’s unseeded Nuno Borges.

But the third seed, who has won four majors but never been beyond the quarter-finals in Melbourne, regained his focus to ease through 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2.

The 21-year-old knows how he plans to celebrate if he wins the tournament for the first time.

Alcaraz, who is sporting a new buzz cut in Melbourne, vowed to get a kangaroo tattoo if he goes all the way.

“It’s a kangaroo, that’s for sure. That’s my idea,” he said.

Germany’s second seed Zverev also booked his place in the second week with a methodical 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win over Britain’s Jacob Fearnley.

Zverev has not dropped a set in three matches so far and faces French 14th seed Ugo Humbert.

Jakub Mensik, the Czech teenager who shocked sixth seed Casper Ruud in round two, crashed out in five sets to Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Men’s defending champion and world number one Jannik Sinner plays Marcos Giron of the United States in the third round on Saturday.

‘It sucks’

Top-ranked Sabalenka was made to work hard behind a faltering serve before beating Denmark’s Clara Tauson in the third round on Rod Laver Arena.

Sabalenka was broken four straight times at the start of the match but found her groove to win 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 after more than two hours of attritional tennis.

“I’m just super happy that I was able to just stay in the game and I was able to push myself, honestly, to the limit to get this win,” said Sabalenka, who is chasing a third Melbourne title in a row.

Her win puts her into a clash against highly rated 17-year-old Andreeva, the 14th seed, who beat Poland’s 23rd seed Magdalena Frech in three sets.

Andreeva beat Sabalenka in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros last year.

Two-time Melbourne champion Osaka was on course to clash with third seed Gauff in the next round.

But the former world number one needed treatment on her stomach during the first set against Belinda Bencic and called it quits after losing the opener on a tiebreak.

Osaka, who retired from the final in Auckland with an abdominal injury in the lead-up to Melbourne, said: “If I could have served, then I could have potentially won and I could have maybe gone far in the tournament.”

She added: “It sucks.”

Bencic will face Gauff after the American eased to a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Canada’s 30th seed Leylah Fernandez.

Gauff is yet to drop a set this season in eight matches, having won all five of her singles at the United Cup.

Seventh seed Jessica Pegula, the US Open finalist last year, was a surprise straight-sets loser to Serbia’s Olga Danilovic.

Second seed Iga Swiatek plays Emma Raducanu, a clash between former US Open champions, in the pick of the women’s matches on Saturday.

Teenage qualifier Learner Tien stunned last year’s Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev in an epic match ending at nearly 3:00 am Friday after defending champion Jannik Sinner roared back to take his place in the third round. Taylor Fritz was an emphatic winner in his pursuit of a maiden major title but exciting 18-year-old Joao Fonseca was edged out in a five-set thriller. The 19-year-old American Tien emerged over a gruelling four hours and 48 minutes of nailbiting action to defeat Russia’s Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (8/10), 1-6, 7-6 (10/7).

The 121st-ranked Tien next faces France’s 69th-ranked Corentin Moutet after the biggest win in his young career.

Tien had defeated Argentina’s Camilo Ugo Carabelli in five sets in the first round for his maiden victory at a Grand Slam at the fourth attempt.

“I was definitely hoping it was not going to go to a fifth-set tie breaker,” said Tien.

“But just really happy to get a win. I know I made it a lot harder than it could have been, but whatever.”

It was a painful exit for former world number one Medvedev, who has lost three of the last four finals at Melbourne Park including to Sinner in 2024.

Before the late-night drama, top-ranked Sinner dropped a set for the first time in 14 matches when he lost the opener to Australian wildcard Tristan Schoolkate.

But he wrested back control after a slow start to go through 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 against the world number 173 at a cool and breezy Rod Laver Arena.

It was Sinner’s 16th consecutive victory in an ominous sign for next opponent Marcos Giron.

“It’s always tough to play against someone I don’t know very well. He was playing much better than I was at the beginning,” said the Italian, 23, who also won the US Open last year.

“I have to be very happy with my performance and never take things for granted. Very glad to be in the next round.

“I can improve, yes, but I’ll take it.”

Fritz swept through to a third-round clash against Gael Monfils with a brutal display of power hitting and has dropped just eight games in the tournament so far.

The American fourth seed was untouchable on Margaret Court Arena, swatting aside Chilean qualifier Cristian Garin 6-2, 6-1, 6-0 in 82 minutes.

Fritz only gave up five games to blitz past Jenson Brooksby in the first round and has spent barely three hours on court.

“Always feels great to come out and play a match like that,” said Fritz, last year’s US Open finalist.

The supremely talented Fonseca has been tipped for the top by Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, who has said he sees shades of himself in the Brazilian.

But having stunned ninth seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets in the first round, the teenager went down to Lorenzo Sonego, the Italian pulling through 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to disappoint the vocal Brazilian fans.

Sonego’s reward is a clash against Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan, who took down 17th seed Frances Tiafoe, also in five sets.

Ruthless Swiatek

In the women’s draw, Iga Swiatek set up a showdown with Emma Raducanu in the next round.

Swiatek raced past world number 49 Rebecca Sramkova 6-0, 6-2 while Britain’s Raducanu reached the third round for the first time at Melbourne Park by beating Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-5.

“Well for sure it’s going to be a tough one,” world number two Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam winner but never a Melbourne champion, said as she sized up Raducanu.

“Emma can play great tennis. We all know that.”

Raducanu is seeking to claw up the rankings after an injury-hit 2024 and return to the form that brought her a shock US Open crown in 2021 as a qualifier.

“It will be a very good match for me,” said the 22-year-old.

Elena Rybakina, the sixth seed and former Wimbledon champion, raced past American wildcard Iva Jovic in straight sets.

Emma Navarro, the eighth seed from the United States, will face Ons Jabeur next after battling through three sets to beat China’s 108th-ranked Wang Xiyu.

The Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist Jabeur suffered an asthma attack in a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio.

“Very, very tough to breathe,” she said, adding that she may not have continued if she had lost the first set.

Fourth seed Jasmine Paolini made light work of Renata Zarazua of Mexico, winning 6-2, 6-3 despite some early nerves.

Djokovic, Alcaraz and women’s number one and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka all play on a blockbuster Friday.

So do Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka, who are on a collision course to meet in the next round should they both win.