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Jannik Sinner faces Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open final as the World No 1 bids for back-to-back men’s singles titles in Melbourne.
Sinner won his first grand slam at the Australian Open 12 months ago when he came from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev and the Italian has since underlined his status as the best player in the world.
Zverev progressed to a first Australian Open final after an injured Novak Djokovic dramatically retired from their semi-final on Friday, but the German has backed up his position of World No 2 and is a strong contender to win his first grand slam.
The big-serving 27-year-old has the advantage of playing just 82 minutes against Djokovic, while Sinner needed much longer to defeat Ben Shelton and did not finish his semi-final until after midnight local time.
Zverev, though, has his demons in grand slam finals, losing the US Open final from two sets up to Dominic Thiem in 2020 and the French Open final from two sets to one up against Carlos Alcaraz last June.
Sinner, 23, has won 13 matches in a row at Melbourne Park and now has the chance to add his third grand slam title, after also winning the US Open last September. Here’s everything you need to know.
When is Jannik Sinner vs Alexander Zverev?
The Australian Open men’s final will begin just after 8:30am GMT (UK time) on Sunday 26 January.
How can I watch the Australian Open?
In the UK, the Australian Open will be broadcast live on Eurosport. Subscribers can also stream the action online on the Eurosport website or with the discovery+ app.
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Jannik Sinner vs Alexander Zverev head-to-head
Despite his World No 1 ranking, Jannik Sinner trails the head-to-head to Alexander Zverev with the German winning four of their six previous meetings.
While Sinner was the victor the last time they played – in three tight sets in the Cincinnati semi-finals last year – Zverev has won the previous four, including in the last-16 of the US Open in 2023.
That five-set match was the last time Sinner lost a grand slam match on a hard court, with the Italian winning the Australian Open and US Open titles in 2024.
2024: Cincinnati, semi-final, hard court: Sinner won 7-6 5-7 7-6
2023: US Open, round of 16, hard court: Zverev won 6-4 3-6 6-2 4-6 6-3
2022: Monte Carlo, quarter-final, clay: Zverev won 5-7 6-3 7-6
2021: US Open, round of 16, hard court: Zverev won 6-4 6-4 7-6
2020: Cologne, semi-final, hard court: Zverev won 7-6 6-3
2020: French Open, round of 16, clay Sinner won 6-3 6-4 4-6 6-3
Jannik Sinner’s route to Australian Open final
R1: Nicolas Jarry, 7-6 7-6 6-1
R2: Tristan Schoolkate, 4-6 6-4 6-1 6-3
R3: Marcos Giron, 6-3 6-4 6-2
R4: Holger Rune (13), 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-2
QF: Alex de Minaur (8), 6-3 6-2 6-1
SF: Ben Shelton (21), 7-6 6-2 6-2
Alexander Zverev’s route to Australian Open final
R1: Lucas Pouille, 6-4 6-4 6-4
R2: Pedro Martinez, 6-1 6-4 6-1
R3: Jacob Fearnley, 6-3 6-4 6-4
R4: Ugo Humbert (14), 6-1 2-6 6-3 6-2
QF: Tommy Paul (12), 7-6 7-6 2-6 6-1
SF: Novak Djokovic (7), 7-6 ret.
What was Jannik Sinner said about Alexander Zverev?
“Very tough match. We had some very tough matches in the past. He is an incredible player and is looking for his first major. There is going to be a lot of tension but I’m happy to put myself in this position, Sundays are special days at tournaments. I’m going to enjoy it. Hopefully it’s going to be a good match.”
What has Alexander Zverev said about Jannik Sinner?
“I think Jannik has been the best player in the world for the past 12 months. There’s no doubt about it. Won two Grand Slams. Has been very, very stable in those regards. So definitely one of the best players in the world.”
