A brace or a “first”: Jannik Sinner (number 1 of the world), reigning champion of the Australian Open, and Alexander Zverev (number 2), still looking for 27 years of the first Grand Slam after two painful failures, will face each other In a few hours in the final in Melbourne. It is played at the Rod Lavener Arena at 09:30 (directed by clear on the nine).
From the beginning of the Open era, in 1968, the Grand Slam finals with the first two classified in the ATP ranking were 51, with decidedly balanced results: 26 victories for numbers 1, 25 for numbers 2.
Against Zverev, “it is difficult to say who the favorite is,” Sinner admitted. “Everything can happen.” In Australia, Italian is not just the reigning champion. He has just completed 20 consecutive victories in the ATP circuit, the longest series of his career and which had not been seen for two years, obtained at the time by Novak Djokovic.
At 23, the two -time winner of the Grand Slam (Australian Open and US Open 2024) reiterated that he is not “nor invincible or perfect”, and that his success derives above all from the hard work “daily. In case of victory, he would become the most winning Italian tennis player in a Slam, overcoming the compatriot Nicola Pietrangeli, triumphant of two editions of Roland-Garros (1959, 1960).
If his status and the title of last year make Sinner the favorite, Alexander Zverev feels “ready” to secure his first success in the Grand Slam after the two finals lost in five sets at the US Open 2020 and Roland-Garros 2024 2024 sky blue. In Slam, he has always won on concrete (twice the US Open), in the face of the success of the Italian at 2020 Roland-Garros.
Yet the number 1 in the world would be favored even if the final should be played in five sets, like last year, when it was imposed on Daniil Medvedev after being below two sets.
The last time, in 2019, Novak Djokovic had confirmed the hierarchy by beating Rafael Nadal, then second in the ATP ranking. Eliminated for retreat in the semifinal by Zverev, the 37 -year -old Serbian Sunday will support the number 2 of the world: «He deserves his first Grand Slam. I will encourage him, “said Djokovic, who won 24 important tournaments. Sinner counts to frustrate his hopes.