Jannik Sinner’s reserved public persona belies a mature and steely 23-year-old who has shown supreme mental strength to put aside a doping scandal and make another Australian Open final. Sinner’s status as Italy’s biggest sporting star and the new dominant force in men’s tennis has only risen over the past fortnight in Melbourne. With Spain’s golden boy and chief rival Carlos Alcaraz long gone he has just one more hurdle to clear, against Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final, to become back-to-back champion.

Only three other men have managed the feat at Melbourne Park since the turn of the century — Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Sinner has positioned himself to join them despite being dogged by controversy after twice testing positive for traces of the steroid clostebol in March.

Hanging over his head is a World Anti-Doping Agency appeal against his exoneration, the global body asking for Sinner to be banned for up to two years.

A hearing is scheduled at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for April. He has denied knowingly doping.

“There’s been a lot of pressure around him for the last nine months now, since April last year,” said his coach Darren Cahill.

“He deals with it as well as anybody that I’ve ever seen deal with pressure. He’s an amazing young man that’s been able to put that to one side.

“He has a clear conscience with what’s going on. That’s the main reason he’s been able to go onto the court and walk tall and have that belief and play with the confidence that he has.”

Born in the northern Italian village of Innichen, a stone’s throw from the Austrian border, a career in professional tennis was not a given for Sinner.

He was a champion skier as a youngster and still enjoys the sport in the off-season.

Sinner was also a keen footballer, playing for a local team as an attacker.

But he decided to commit to tennis and at age 13 moved 600 kilometres (400 miles) away from his family to Bordighera on the Italian Riviera to start his long march to the elite levels of the game.

Wise head

After a steady grind, Sinner made an emphatic statement that he was among the elite by winning his maiden Grand Slam in Melbourne last year.

He hasn’t looked back, winning eight titles in 2024, including the US Open and ATP Finals with a striking aspect his extraordinary air of calm on court.

Quiet and reserved, he keeps his personal life away from the spotlight as much as possible, saying very little about his relationship with fellow tennis player Anna Kalinskaya of Russia.

Seen by some as too serious and even icy, the Italian has worked to soften his image in Melbourne, even laughing during some of his interviews, a side of him rarely seen before.

“He’s matured for sure,” said Cahill. “I think there’s many areas of not just what he’s doing on the court but certainly off the court as well.

“All these young kids, they are living a life that is great.

“But you have to have a wise head on your shoulders dealing with the media and the fans and the pressure of playing in front of 15,000 people and living up to expectations.

“You grow up fast. Jannik is one of those.”

Jannik Sinner’s reserved public persona belies a mature and steely 23-year-old who has shown supreme mental strength to put aside a doping scandal and make another Australian Open final. Sinner’s status as Italy’s biggest sporting star and the new dominant force in men’s tennis has only risen over the past fortnight in Melbourne. With Spain’s golden boy and chief rival Carlos Alcaraz long gone he has just one more hurdle to clear, against Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final, to become back-to-back champion.

Only three other men have managed the feat at Melbourne Park since the turn of the century — Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Sinner has positioned himself to join them despite being dogged by controversy after twice testing positive for traces of the steroid clostebol in March.

Hanging over his head is a World Anti-Doping Agency appeal against his exoneration, the global body asking for Sinner to be banned for up to two years.

A hearing is scheduled at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for April. He has denied knowingly doping.

“There’s been a lot of pressure around him for the last nine months now, since April last year,” said his coach Darren Cahill.

“He deals with it as well as anybody that I’ve ever seen deal with pressure. He’s an amazing young man that’s been able to put that to one side.

“He has a clear conscience with what’s going on. That’s the main reason he’s been able to go onto the court and walk tall and have that belief and play with the confidence that he has.”

Born in the northern Italian village of Innichen, a stone’s throw from the Austrian border, a career in professional tennis was not a given for Sinner.

He was a champion skier as a youngster and still enjoys the sport in the off-season.

Sinner was also a keen footballer, playing for a local team as an attacker.

But he decided to commit to tennis and at age 13 moved 600 kilometres (400 miles) away from his family to Bordighera on the Italian Riviera to start his long march to the elite levels of the game.

Wise head

After a steady grind, Sinner made an emphatic statement that he was among the elite by winning his maiden Grand Slam in Melbourne last year.

He hasn’t looked back, winning eight titles in 2024, including the US Open and ATP Finals with a striking aspect his extraordinary air of calm on court.

Quiet and reserved, he keeps his personal life away from the spotlight as much as possible, saying very little about his relationship with fellow tennis player Anna Kalinskaya of Russia.

Seen by some as too serious and even icy, the Italian has worked to soften his image in Melbourne, even laughing during some of his interviews, a side of him rarely seen before.

“He’s matured for sure,” said Cahill. “I think there’s many areas of not just what he’s doing on the court but certainly off the court as well.

“All these young kids, they are living a life that is great.

“But you have to have a wise head on your shoulders dealing with the media and the fans and the pressure of playing in front of 15,000 people and living up to expectations.

“You grow up fast. Jannik is one of those.”

Australian spin legend Nathan Lyon opened up on his battles with star India batter Virat Kohli, including one at the Adelaide Test back in 2014 in which the 36-year-old smashed twin centuries in his test captaincy debut and made the spinner one of the prime targets of his assault. After a horrid home Test season against Bangladesh and New Zealand and underwhelming Test numbers over the years, Virat will be making his fifth Test series tour of Australia under the toughest of circumstances, with his long-format legacy and spot on the line as India awaits a transition following ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle.

His battle with Lyon would be an interesting one to watch, given the star batter’s long-standing struggles against spin bowling lately, especially in spin-friendly conditions at home.

Virat has an incredible record against Lyon, scoring 529 runs against him in 32 innings, averaging 75.6 and striking at around 51. He has been dismissed seven times by Lyon.

Speaking about their battles on cricket.com.au, Nathan recalled how during his Adelaide special, Virat would talk about his “beautiful forehands”, comparable to Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer in order to get under the skin of Australian players.

“The battle that comes to me is the 2014 test at Adelaide Oval where he got the 100’s in both innings. I was bowling to him and he was batting that easily. He would come down to non-striker and just say Federer,” said Nathan.

“And I was like, OK, what is this and he kept doing it, kept doing it. Every time. Every time he would come down and he was like, Federer, Federer,” he added.

“And I said, mate, I do not know if I am wrong, but we are playing the wrong sport If you think you are Federer. And he goes ‘Nah, nah I got a beautiful forehand’. I was just like, OK, you are a decent player, if you can just sit there and do that mid-innings,” he concluded.

That 2014 tour to Australia, following a disastrous tour to England, was a turning point of Virat’s career, as he smashed 692 runs, averaging 86.50, with four centuries and a fifty. His best score in the series was 169.

MS Dhoni’s retirement in the series midway also saw him step up as a captain, which went on to change the direction of Indian cricket in coming years. Under Virat’s tenure, India won 40 Tests and improved significantly in overseas conditions.

Virat’s form from 2016-2019 is among the greatest peaks in the longest format, having made 4,208 runs in 43 Tests and 69 innings at an average of 66.79, with 16 centuries and 10 fifties. It was during this period he smashed seven double centuries, the most by a captain in Tests, a record which still stands.

But things have changed a decade later. This year in 19 matches across international formats, Virat has just scored 488 runs at a shockingly low average of 20.33, with just two half-centuries in 25 innings and best score of 76.

Since 2020, Virat has faced an elongated lean patch in the whites, scoring 1838 runs from 34 Tests at an average of 31.68, comprising just two centuries and nine fifties.

Virat has had a horrific home Test season this year against Bangladesh and New Zealand, in which he scored just 192 runs in 10 innings at an average of 21.33 with just one fifty. In the latest ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings, Kohli slipped out of the top-20 list for the first time in 10 years.

The trip to Australia could spark another fire in Virat’s mind as he has thrived against them historically. In 13 Tests in Australia, Virat has scored 1,352 runs at an average of 54.08, with six centuries and four fifties. His best score is 169.

Across all formats in Australia, Virat has scored 3,426 runs at an average of 56.16, with 11 centuries and 19 fifties in 70 innings. His best score is 169.

The much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia kicks off on November 22, with the first Test at Perth. The second Test, featuring the day-night format, will take place under lights at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10.

Fans will then turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test from December 14 to 18.

The traditional Boxing Day Test, scheduled from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne’s iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, will mark the series’ penultimate stage.

The fifth and final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exciting climax to a highly anticipated series.

One of the greatest sportsmen of all time, Rafael Nadal, prepares to say ‘au revoir’ to the game that made him a legend. The man who dominated the French Open as if it was his backyard, draws curtains to an illustrious career with the Davis Cup finals 2024. Seeing Nadal hold the tennis racquet in his hand for one final time as a professional, the entire sporting fraternity is emotional. While the sporting world is bound to miss him as he moves from the game, there isn’t a rival of his who is going to enjoy his exit. Roger Federer, arguably the biggest rival Nadal has faced on the tennis court, penned an emotional note as the 38-year-old prepares for his final showdown in the court.

In his nearly 600-word post, Federer recalled facing Nadal for the first time on the tennis court, when a boy from Mallorca stepped into the clay court and made it his own. Here’s his post:

Vamos,

@RafaelNadal!

As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I’ve got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional.

Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me-a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could. On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground. You made me reimagine my game-even going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge.

I’m not a very superstitious person, but you took it to the next level. Your whole process. All those rituals. Assembling your water bottles like toy soldiers in formation, fixing your hair, adjusting your underwear… All of it with the highest intensity. Secretly, I kind of loved the whole thing. Because it was so unique-it was so you.

Vamos, @RafaelNadal!

As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I’ve got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional.

Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me—a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could. On clay, it felt like I…

— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) November 19, 2024

And you know what, Rafa, you made me enjoy the game even more.

OK, maybe not at first. After the 2004 Australian Open, I achieved the #1 ranking for the first time. I thought I was on top of the world. And I was-until two months later, when you walked on the court in Miami in your red sleeveless shirt, showing off those biceps, and you beat me convincingly. All that buzz I’d been hearing about you-about this amazing young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, probably going to win a major someday-it wasn’t just hype.

We were both at the start of our journey and it’s one we ended up taking together. Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say: What an incredible run you’ve had. Including 14 French Opens-historic! You made Spain proud… you made the whole tennis world proud.

I keep thinking about the memories we’ve shared. Promoting the sport together. Playing that match on half-grass, half-clay. Breaking the all-time attendance record by playing in front of more than 50,000 fans in Cape Town, South Africa. Always cracking each other up. Wearing each other out on the court and then, sometimes, almost literally having to hold each other up during trophy ceremonies.

I’m still grateful you invited me to Mallorca to help launch the Rafa Nadal Academy in 2016. Actually, I kind of invited myself. I knew you were too polite to insist on me being there, but I didn’t want to miss it. You have always been a role model for kids around the world, and Mirka and I are so glad that our children have all trained at your academies. They had a blast and learned so much-like thousands of other young players. Although I always worried my kids would come home playing tennis as lefties.

And then there was London-the Laver Cup in 2022. My final match. It meant everything to me that you were there by my side-not as my rival but as my doubles partner. Sharing the court with you that night, and sharing those tears, will forever be one of the most special moments of my career.

Rafa, I know you’re focused on the last stretch of your epic career. We will talk when it’s done. For now, I just want to congratulate your family and team, who all played a massive role in your success. And I want you to know that your old friend is always cheering for you, and will be cheering just as loud for everything you do next.

Rafa that!

Best always, your fan,

Roger

Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer on Thursday paid tribute to 22-time Grand Slam champion and great rival Rafael Nadal who announced his retirement from the sport. “What a career, Rafa! I always hoped this day would never come,” 20-time Grand Slam winner Federer, who retired two years ago, said in a post on social media. “Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your incredible achievements in the game we love. It’s been an absolute honor!”

When they met for the first time in March 2004 at Miami, Nadal was just 17 and ranked at 34.

Federer was the world number one and had already captured the Australian Open and Indian Wells titles that year.

Their rivalry spanned almost two decades and ended in an emotional London farewell at the Laver Cup in September 2022.

Nadal edged their head-to-head count 24-16, coming out 6-3 on top in Grand Slam finals including his stunning Wimbledon triumph in 2008, widely regarded as one of the greatest finals at the majors.

“When Roger leaves the tour, an important part of my life is leaving too,” admitted a tearful Nadal as he played Laver Cup doubles alongside 41-year-old Federer in the Swiss star’s final appearance in September 2022.

The two clasped hands as Federer hobbled into retirement.

“Very proud to be part of his career but even for me happier to finish our career as friends after everything we shared on court as rivals,” said Nadal.

When Nadal equalled Federer’s haul of 20 Grand Slam titles by lifting his 13th French Open in 2020, the Swiss described it as the “greatest achievement in sport”.

Federer never begrudged Nadal moving past him to 22 majors. 

“I can call up Rafa and talk about anything,” said Federer at his London farewell.

“We enjoy each other’s company. We have a million topics to cover. I always feel like any evening we ever spent together we never have enough time.”

Rafael Nadal, who announced his retirement at the age of 38 on Thursday, was not only the “king of clay” but also reigned on every other tennis surface as he accumulated 22 Grand Slam titles. He won his first major title at his first French Open, beating Mariano Puerta in the final two days after turning 19. He won his last, a 14th Roland Garros title, 17 years later. While he dominated on clay, he won all four majors. The eight Grand Slam titles he collected on other surfaces — four US Opens, two Wimbledons and two Australian Opens — would, on their own, tie for eighth overall in men’s tennis history.

He amassed titles despite playing in an era which also boasted Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, tennis’s dominant “big three” for more a decade.

Nadal played with relentless athleticism, power and mental strength, a style that may have contributed to the injuries that pockmarked his later career. The left-hander also had the shots, notably a ferocious top-spin forehand.

Born on the island of Mallorca, Nadal started playing in his hometown of Manacor, focussing on tennis over football. He was coached by his uncle Toni Nadal from 2005 to 2017.

Nadal, said his uncle, played both forehand and backhand with two hands until he was about 10.

“When we started playing the forehand one-handed, he did so with the left. And that’s how it turned out. It is still astonishing.”

Another of his uncles, Miguel Angel Nadal, played professional football for Barcelona, with the sporting gene running in the family, although the tennis star supports Real Madrid.

Nadal turned professional at 14 and made his Wimbledon debut in 2003 at 17.

He won Roland Garros every year from 2005 to 2008, beating Federer in the last three of those finals.

The Swiss won when they met in the Wimbledon final in 2006 and 2007 but at the third time of asking Nadal he beat Federer on the London grass in an epic final  in 2008. The following month he won gold at the Beijing Olympics.

Nadal won his first Australian Open in 2009, against Federer again — his opponent for seven of his first eight Grand Slam finals.

Career Golden Slam

In 2010, arguably his peak, Nadal became the first male player to win Grand Slams on three different surfaces in a single year, beating Djokovic at the US Open to complete the career Golden Slam of the four majors and the Olympic title.

The only other man to achieve that feat is Andre Agassi.

Showing remarkable mental resilience to escape desperate situations, drawing on endless stamina and lethally picking off opponents with his powerful, precise forehand, Nadal was an unforgiving machine.

Between 2005 and 2007 he went on a record 81-match winning streak on clay, eventually snapped by Federer in Hamburg. 

During that time Nadal won 13 consecutive titles on clay.

Between 2005 and 2014 Nadal won the French Open every year, except for 2009, when he was beaten by eventual runner-up Robin Soderling.

Nadal continued to shine in his later years despite injury problems, winning the Australian and French Opens in 2022.

He also reached the Wimbledon semi-finals that year but was forced to pull out with an abdominal issue.

“The older he has got, the more willing he has been to change his game,” said Swedish seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander in May 2022.

Nadal spent the vast majority of the 2023 season injured or recovering from surgery as Djokovic passed the Spaniard’s record of 22 Grand Slams by winning the French Open.

Life in the tennis pantheon was never a priority for Nadal.

“The important legacy is that all the people I have met during these 20 years have a good human memory of me,” he said.

“At the end of the day, the personal issue, education, respect and the affection you can treat people with comes before the professional issue, because that is what remains.”

Tennis great Roger Federer said on Wednesday staying involved with the sport in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup tournament in Berlin. Federer who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters.

“I feel I ripped the bandaid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there.

“I don’t feel like an alien, which is a good thing because you can feel like that very quickly.

“People (and) players ask you ‘what are you doing here?’ and you’re like ‘exactly — if you keep talking like this, I will never come back’.”

“I’m happy I’m still able to feel comfortable in a setting like this because it would be so much easier just to stay home, get comfortable at home and realise you don’t need to be on tour anymore.”

The 20-time Grand Slam winner praised up-and-coming stars Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz looking ahead to next year’s Australian Open.

Federer held out hope for his remaining contemporaries Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, who will both be absent from the Laver Cup.

“With Rafa we don’t know — it remains to be seen. It’s hard for me to make a prediction on Rafa because of the little tennis he has played this year.

“Novak, winning the Olympics and playing somewhat let’s say a full season — he didn’t bow out because of injuries, he chose to play less which is normal when you get a bit older.

“I feel like he has chances moving forward.

“I look forward to Australia which is the next Slam. I think he’s definitely going to be one of the favourites along with Sinner and Alvarez.

“I think the Australian Open story will be a very cool one to follow.”

Nadal pulled out of the Laver Cup with injury but his compatriot Alcaraz will take part as a member of Team Europe against Team World.

German Alexander Zverev will also play for Team Europe and Federer said he was “so close” to winning a maiden Grand Slam, but needed to attack more in crucial moments.

“I see someone who’s playing much too passively, much too defensively when it matters the most.

“I think (Zverev) has to remind himself to try to not be too passive and then I think honestly something really great can happen for him.”

Team Europe won the first four events, starting in 2017, but Team World have won the past two.

Tennis at the Summer Olympics is always one of the most anticipated events, but Paris 2024 might just take the cake. Numerous storylines from the world of tennis are in play, as the iconic Roland Garros welcomes the Olympics. The king of Roland Garros – Rafael Nadal – may be playing competitive tennis for the final time. He will be going for a third individual gold. His age-old rival Novak Djokovic is aiming for the one gold missing from his illustrious cabinet. Olympics 2024 is also certainly Andy Murray’s swansong. And between all this, a new demon has taken the world of tennis by storm.

Carlos Alcaraz heads into Paris 2024 having conquered the two most revered courts on earth in succession, winning the French Open and Wimbledon this year. However, perhaps more than the individual clash of titans, fans are also eagerly looking forward to Alcaraz and Nadal playing the men’s doubles together, representing Spain. A poetic pass of the baton from Nadal to Alcaraz sets up an almost Shakespearean storyline.

For India, Rohan Bopanna will pair up with N Sriram Balaji for the men’s doubles category, whilst Sumit Nagal will play the men’s singles.

Format

In Paris 2024, much like every other edition, tennis will have five separate categories: women’s singles, men’s singles, women’s doubles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles.

Apart from five editions, the bronze medal has been won by the winner of the match between the two losing semi-finalists. It remains the same in Paris.

Since 2021,  the deciding set (third) has a 7-point tiebreaker game to decide the match at 6-all. Should the tiebreaker game be tied at 6-all, whoever scores two straight points wins it.

History

The United States hold the most Olympic golds in the Open era, as well as all-time. Great Britain were the country to beat in the Amateur Era, but the United States have dominated in the Open Era.

The Williams sisters hold the most individual medals in Olympics history, but it is Venus who has one more than Serena. Both boast three golds in women’s doubles and a women’s singles gold, but Venus also won a silver in the Rio 2016 mixed doubles.

Among active male players, Andy Murray has three medals, two of them men’s singles gold (2012, 2016). Rafael Nadal has a singles gold (2008) and a doubles gold (2016). Alexander Zverev is the reigning men’s singles champion.

Leander Paes won India’s only Olympic tennis medal in Atlanta 1996, with a men’s singles bronze. Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi narrowly missed out on a doubles medal in Athens 2004, finishing fourth.

Carlos Alcaraz lifts the Wimbledon 2024 title after beating Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the final.© AFP

Sachin Tendulkar said that one tennis player he would love to bat with was Roger Federer (right).
| Photo Credit: X/@sachin_rt

Batting icon Sachin Tendulkar has picked the legendary Roger Federer as one tennis player he would have loved to bat with given the latter’s “cricket connection” and interest in the sport.

A regular at the Wimbledon over the years, Tendulkar met Federer when he visited the centre court in London to watch some tennis action on Saturday.

“One tennis player I would love to bat with has to be Roger because also he’s got cricketing connections,” Tendulkar told Star Sports on the sidelines of Wimbledon.

“His mother is from South Africa and he follows cricket and when we sat together and chatted we discussed a lot of cricket not just tennis so it has to be Roger.”

The 51-year-old from Mumbai also said he loved playing tennis with the late Australian spin great Shane Warne and former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh and described them as cricketers who would make best doubles partners.

“There are two strong contenders unfortunately we lost Shane Warne a couple of years ago but I enjoyed playing tennis with Warne in fact we played together in London and the other guy is from Indian cricket team Yuvraj Singh who has also retired but Warne and Yuvraj would be the ones.”

Era of Djokovic, Federer, Nadal has come to an end: Shastri

Former India coach and player Ravi Shastri feels Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are the future stars with the era of Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal having come to an end.

“The era of Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, you feel is coming to an end, or has come to an end, and it’ll be Sinner and Alcaraz who will keep the flag flying,” Shastri said on the sidelines of the Wimbledon.

“As far as the competition goes they’ll have some great battles in the future and we hope another couple come on the way.”

Talking about his favourite player in Wimbledon, Shastri said, “At the moment, Alcaraz, I saw that final last year, in that fifth set, he’s, got some energy, some strength.

“When I saw him first, it reminded me of young Nadal, the way he whacked that ball, the power with which he hit it and he’s like a bull in that fifth set, you take him to the fifth set, you better be fit, otherwise he’ll clean you up.”

Shastri also went down memory lanes and narrated how he met multiple Grand Slam winner Jimmy Connors.

“The first time I ever came into the Wimbledon was in 1982, when Connors won it and Vijay brought us in and he took us into the dressing room, he took Sunny and me into the locker room, as they say, not the dressing room and met Jimmy Connors at that time and I’ve been coming ever since.”