Italy’s Jannik Sinner celebrates winning his quarter-final match against Russia’s Andrey Rublev.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Jannik Sinner, of Italy, answers a reporters’ question during a press conference at the Italian Open at the Foro Italico in Rome, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
| Photo Credit: Alessandra Tarantino

Jannik Sinner, of Italy, holds the trophy after winning the men’s singles tennis final match against Alexander Zverev, of Germany, at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, on May 3, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP

World number two Jannik Sinner overwhelmed Czech qualifier Dalibor Svrcina 6-1, 6-1 on Friday (March 6, 2026) to launch his bid for a first Indian Wells hardcourt crown.

Sinner, back in the California desert after missing last year’s edition serving a drugs suspension, controlled every aspect of the 64-minute contest in which he faced just one break point.

After Svrcina held serve for 1-1 in the first set, Sinner won nine straight games before Svrcina managed another hold. The Czech fought valiantly to force Sinner to serve it out, saving three match points in the final game before Sinner closed it with one more service break.

It was an auspicious start to a tournament in which the four-time Grand Slam champion’s best runs ended in semi-final defeats to Carlos Alcaraz.

This year he can’t meet top-seeded Alcaraz — or third-seeded five-time champion Novak Djokovic — until the final.

“I feel mentally I’m in a good place,” said Sinner, who lost to Djokovic in the semi-finals of the Australian Open and was surprised by Jakub Mensik in the quarters at Doha last month.

“I’m calm, I’m relaxed. But I’m also very happy to compete. We did a lot of work. Many, many hours on court. Many hours in the gym. I’m trying to get a little bit stronger.”

Women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka, also chasing a first title in the prestigious ATP/WTA Masters 1000 event, opened in similarly dominant style, beating Japanese qualifier Himeno Sakatsume 6-4, 6-2.

Sabalenka showed no sign of rust in her first tournament since a runner-up finish to Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open.

“I’m really happy with the way I was serving, with the way I was putting her on the back foot,” said Sabalenka, who has twice reached the Indian Wells final but lost to Rybakina in 2023 and to Mirra Andreeva last year.

A nervous Sakatsume, ranked 136th, dropped her serve in the opening game but steadied after saving four break points to hold in the fifth.

Even so, she had no real answer to the Belarusian’s power and the lone break was enough for Sabalenka to seize the opening set.

After Sakatsume held serve to open the second, Sabalenka won five straight games, closing out the match without facing a break point.

Men’s fourth-seed Alexander Zverev also sailed into the third round, beating Italian Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-4 without facing a break point.

It was an encouraging start for the German, who fell in his opening match last year and has never made it past the quarter-finals in the California desert.

“I have struggled in Indian Wells before, but I feel different this year,” he said.

Hungarian veteran Marton Fucsovics pulled the first big upset, ousting fifth-seeded Italian Lorenzo Musetti 7-5, 6-1.

It was another disappointing setback for Musetti, who was playing his first tournament since he retired with a right leg injury while leading 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic by two sets in the Australian Open quarter-finals.

Americans fight through

Home hopes Ben Shelton and Coco Gauff had to battle into the third round.

Ailing eighth seed Shelton clawed out a 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 victory over Reilly Opelka in an all-American clash.

Women’s fourth seed Gauff rallied from two breaks down in the second set for a 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) victory over qualifier Kamilla Rakhimova.

Rakhimova, ranked 88th, served for the second set three times, wasting one set point. She led Gauff 5-4 in the tiebreaker before the American reeled off the last three points.

“I think I got a little bit passive in the second set and a little lazy with the footwork,” Gauff said. “Then I was able to pick it up.”

Japanese superstar Naomi Osaka, seeded 16th in her first tournament since withdrawing from the Australian Open with an abdominal injury, defeated qualifier Victoria Jimnez Kasintseva 7-5, 6-2.

Published – March 07, 2026 08:05 am IST

World number five Jessica Pegula believes the handling of high-profile doping cases involving Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek has shown that the “process is completely broken”. And top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka admits she cannot trust the tennis anti-doping system and has become “too scared” of it. Sinner’s long doping saga came to an end on Saturday after he agreed to a three-month ban from tennis, the world number one admitting “partial responsibility” for team mistakes which led to him twice testing positive for traces of clostebol in March last year.

Sinner was facing a potential ban of two years after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against his initial exoneration by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), announced in August.

In a surprising move, WADA withdrew its appeal and came to an agreement with Sinner to accept a three-month ban.

In a statement, WADA said “Sinner did not intend to cheat” but would serve his suspension as he is responsible for the actions of his entourage.

Swiatek accepted a one-month ban after testing positive for the banned heart drug trimetazidine (TMZ) late last year.

The 23-year-old Pole had pulled out of the WTA’s Asian swing in September-October citing “personal matters”.

Pegula, last year’s US Open finalist and a member of the WTA Players’ Council, said the inconsistencies in the way cases are being processed and judged is creating an unfair environment for all tennis players.

“I think my reaction is that, whether you think he did or you don’t, or whatever side you’re on, the process just seems to be completely not a process,” the American told reporters in Dubai on Sunday.

– ‘Make up ruling’ –

“It seems to just be whatever decisions and factors they take into consideration, and they just make up their own ruling.

“I don’t really understand how that’s fair for players when there’s just so much inconsistency and you have no idea.”

Pegula added that any emails the players have been receiving regarding anti-doping cases contain explanations that are too easy to come up with, and are just ways for anti-doping organisations to justify their inconsistent rulings and processes.

“If you’re clean or not, the process is completely broken,” she stated.

“I think it needs to be seriously looked at and considered. I feel like they have so much power to ruin someone’s career, as well. I think there needs to be something done about that because it just seems really unfair.

“I don’t think any of the players trust the process at all right now. Zero. It’s just a horrible look for the sport.”

– ‘Too scared’ Sabalenka –

Sabalenka refused to comment on the outcome of the Sinner case but says she has become too wary of falling foul to the sport’s strict anti-doping rules.

“You just start to be more careful. For example, before I wouldn’t care about leaving my glass of water and go to the bathroom in a restaurant. Now, I’m not going to drink from the same glass of water,” said the Belarusian world number one.

“You just become a bit more aware of stuff and this thing gets to your head that, like, if someone used a cream on you and you test positive, they’re going to go for you and they’re not going to believe you or anything.

“You just become too scared of the system. I don’t see how I can trust the system.”

Swiatek said she trusts that the process ultimately “went fair”, when asked about her reaction to the Sinner decision.

“Every case is different. Every story is different, for sure,” said the second-ranked Swiatek.

“Because of Jannik’s or my situation, we are kind of even celebrities, besides playing tennis. Everybody thinks of it from a hundred different perspectives.

“But I just try to stick to the facts and read the documents. I trust that the process at the end went fair. That’s the only thing I do because I try not to judge.”

Sinner’s three-month sanction was described as “ridiculous” by Australian firebrand Nick Kyrgios.

“Guilty or not? Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist,” Kyrgios posted on X on Saturday.

And three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka was equally damning of the deal, writing: “I don’t believe in a clean sport anymore.”

File image of Jannik Sinner.© AFP

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.

Alexander Zverev has been trying for a decade to win a Grand Slam and has overcome an array of challenges to put himself on the brink of a breakthrough at the Australian Open. The 6ft 6ins (1.98m) German has been destined for the top from a young age, hailing from a tennis family where his mother and father both played the sport to a high level in the former Soviet Union. “For me, my family is everything and I owe them a lot for helping me to become the tennis player that I am today,” the 27-year-old, often seen as the sport’s most unfulfilled talent, said.

“They both worked extremely hard and taught my brother and me everything we know,” added Zverev, who faces Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s final in Melbourne.

He has been through the grinder on his way to the top, living with diabetes, dealing with a serious ankle injury and having allegations that he assaulted an ex-girlfriend splashed across the world’s newspapers.

The court case was dropped last year after a settlement was agreed hours before he was due to play in the French Open semi-finals.

He strenuously denied the allegations.

Known by his nickname “Sascha”, Zverev’s greatest achievement so far was winning gold at the Covid-hit Tokyo Olympics.

It was the first time a German had clinched the men’s singles title, stunning heavy favourite Novak Djokovic before taking down Karen Khachanov in the final.

“There is nothing better than this,” he said at the time — except perhaps winning a Grand Slam crown.

Born in Hamburg in 1997 to Russian parents, Zverev was exposed to tennis from an early age through his mother Irina and father Alexander, who remains his coach.

They moved to Germany after the collapse of the Soviet Union, where they began training their son.

His talent quickly became evident, winning the boys’ singles tournament at the 2014 Australian Open and becoming junior world number one.

He broke into the senior ranks and was named the 2015 ATP Newcomer of the Year. By the time he was 20, he was in the world’s top three.

Highs and lows

Zverev, who idolised Roger Federer growing up, made his first Grand Slam final in 2020 at the US Open, agonisingly losing in five sets to Dominic Thiem after being 2-0 up.

But his seemingly unstoppable rise was temporarily halted when he tore ankle ligaments while playing Rafael Nadal in the Roland Garros semis two years later and he underwent surgery.

Returning in January 2023, Zverev captured a 20th career title in Hamburg before the best season of his career in 2024, powering into the French Open final and surging to world number two, dispelling concerns that he was mentally frail.

“In the life of a professional athlete you will have the highest highs and the lowest lows,” said Zverev.

“Getting caught up in the lows is the biggest mistake that you can make.

“You shouldn’t try to evaluate everything when times are tough, you should try to find ways to get better when you’re on a high.”

Zverev has suffered from diabetes since he was four and created the Alexander Zverev Foundation in 2022 to support children with the condition and provide medication for those in developing countries.

An avid football and basketball fan, his older brother Mischa also played on the ATP Tour.