
On Sunday, world No. 1 player Jannik Sinner successfully defended his Australian Open title against Germany’s Alexander Zverev, 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3. The win marks Sinner’s third Grand Slam title, making him the first Italian to do so.
Held in Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, the three-set final saw a flurry of high profile spectators like Asian superstar Jackie Chan, The Hunger Games actor Liam Hemsworth, K-Pop singer Mark Lee of NCT, and Troy star Eric Bana.
“It’s an incredible tournament for me, I hope I can keep it going,” the 23-year-old Sinner said in a post-match interview. “[My team and I] worked a lot to be in this position and it’s an amazing feeling to share this moment with all of you. I know a part of the team is at home and my family, but it is amazing to share these feelings with you.”
He continued with a shout out to his coach Darren Cahill, who’s possibly in his final Australian Open as a coach.
“I am very, very happy to share this trophy with you,” Sinner said. “Everything started a little bit when I changed my combination of coaches and physio, I am very happy to have you all here.”
Sinner came into the tournament with a doping controversy hanging over his head. With two failed doping tests, he faces plenty of doubts regarding his credibility on the court. Sinner swats them all away, notching an impressive record of 73 wins from 79 matches.