Sinner bids for history as Zverev eyes first major

Australian Open 2025 – men’s final

Date: 26 January Venue: Melbourne Park Time: 08: 30 GMT

As Alexander Zverev tries to win his first major in the Melbourne final, Jannik Sinner will attempt to win the Australian Open title while aiming to become the first Italian champion.

The 23-year-old world number one, Sinner, will start the final on a 20-game winning streak, which would make him the first Italian player to have won three Slam titles.

Zverev, the second-ranked German, has already lost his previous two Grand Slam championships.

The top two men’s singles players will meet in Melbourne Park for the first time since Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal in the final in 2019.

While reigning champion Sinner is the favourite, it is Zverev who leads the head-to-head record with four victories from the pair’s six meetings.

“We’ve had some very tough matches in the past. Everything can happen”, said Sinner.

“There is going to be a lot of tension again, but I’m happy to play in this position”.

Sinner won the US Open in September, continuing his first-place record at Melbourne Park 12 months prior.

In the same year that Rafael Nadal retired, Novak Djokovic became the last player standing alongside the eight titles he won during a stellar 2024, making himself the dominant player in the men’s game.

In a five-set thriller against Daniil Medvedev, Sinner recovered from two sets down to win his first major and kicked off a memorable season winning 73 of his 79 matches.

Despite suffering from illness in his fourth-round victory over Holger Rune and cramp in his semi-final against Ben Shelton, Sinner has only lost two sets in six matches this year.

His second Australian Open final came in the context of the Italian’s ongoing doping case, which will be heard in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) from April 16 to April 17 in closed session.

After Sinner twice tested positive for a banned substance twice in March, the World Anti-Doping Agency filed an appeal against the decision and is now requesting a one to two-year ban.

“There’s a lot of things going on, on and off the court”, said Sinner.

“I’m trying to be myself on the court a little bit to isolate myself.” There are days where it’s easier, days where I struggle a little bit more.

Zverev will aim to avoid being the sixth Slam finalist to lose their first three while Sinner is attempting to join a group of seven men who have set perfect records in their first three.

The German has suffered five-set defeats in his previous two major final appearances.

Despite having a two-set-to-one lead over Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open last year and having led Dominic Thiem by two sets at the 2020 US Open, it is all of that.

Before Zverev, the 10-time champion, retired injured, Zverev took his semi-final set against Djokovic.

Zverev would become the first German to win a men’s singles title since Boris Becker won the 1996 Australian Open with a victory on Sunday.

” I think Jannik has been the best player in the world for the past 12 months, “said Zverev.

” There’s no doubt about it. He has won two Grand Slams. He has been very, very stable, so definitely one of the best players in the world. “