Australian Open men's final 2024: Jannik Sinner beats Daniil Medvedev in the final in Melbourne

• By Jonathan Jurejko
• ` Sport at Melbourne Park

January 28, 2024, 12:38 GMT

Updated 4 minutes ago

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Jannik Sinner is the youngest player to win the Australian Open men's title since Novak Djokovic in 2008

Jannik Sinner won the Grand Slam title he had long hoped for with an extraordinary comeback by defeating Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final.

The 22-year-old Italian Sinner was two sets down before recovering to win 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in his first major final.

Sinner, who came in fourth, was initially unable to keep up with the Russian's pace, but prevailed over the course of the competition.

It was another bitter experience for Medvedev, who also blew a two-set lead against Rafael Nadal in the 2022 final.

A first-time champion in Melbourne was guaranteed after Sinner eliminated ten-time winner Novak Djokovic in the semi-final.

Sinner ensured his name is on the trophy – fulfilling the talent that many predicted would lead to a Grand Slam triumph – after an epic match that lasted almost four hours.

“It feels great. I just have to process it, I think, how it feels the first time,” Sinner told Australian broadcaster Channel Nine.

“It’s been a hell of a journey, even though I’m only 22.”

Third-seeded Medvedev, 27, has lost five of his six major finals, including against Djokovic in 2021 and Nadal in 2022 at Melbourne Park.

Sinner secured the win with a forehand down the line and fell on his back at the baseline in celebration.

Medvedev stalked around the net to offer his congratulations before Sinner headed off to celebrate with his team.

As he sat in his chair trying to process the defeat, Medvedev appeared heartbroken and managed to give the crowd a thumbs up as they applauded his efforts.

“It hurts to lose in the final, but it's probably better to be in the final than to lose before,” said Medvedev, who set a record for the longest time on court at a grand final at 24 hours and 17 minutes. Slam tournament has been set up.

“I always want to win and I think I’ll have to try harder next time.”

Sinner starts 2024 in inspired form

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Sinner won the first men's final of the Australian Open since 2005, in which neither Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal nor Novak Djokovic competed

Sinner moved to the forefront of the conversation after a stunning end to last season when discussing the Grand Slam winners in 2024.

A groundbreaking ATP 1000 title in Toronto, significant victories over the very best players and inspiring Italy to Davis Cup victory all reinforced his belief that he would achieve even greater things this season.

That's exactly what Sinner managed to do at the first big tournament of the year.

In those two weeks, Sinner showed extra confidence that this could be his time and didn't drop a set until he faced Djokovic.

By eliminating Djokovic, the Italian answered the long-standing question: Why couldn't the younger generation overthrow the Serb in Melbourne?

Having achieved that, Sinner's next challenge was to secure a memorable win with another against Medvedev.

Sinner had insisted that he knew the job wasn't done with the win over Djokovic.

He demonstrated his mental strength by refusing to accept defeat – even in such a dangerous position – and continued to rely on his powerful groundstrokes.

As Medvedev's stamina waned, Sinner increased the pace and accuracy of his returns, scoring 28 winners in the final two sets.

“The game went so quickly in the first two sets,” said Sinner, who was supported by a large Italian contingent at the Rod Laver Arena.

“I didn't have a chance to play at this level, but I was just looking for small opportunities. I managed to break him and then win one set after another, one game after another.”

Marathon man Medvedev is running out of breath

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Medvedev is the first player to lose two Grand Slam finals after winning the first two sets

So many players with the experience of a Grand Slam final have spoken about how different the occasion can be, especially if it's the first time, and potentially overwhelming.

Medvedev, whose only major triumph came at the 2021 US Open, hoped that his greater experience in these situations would be decisive against Sinner.

Although Sinner didn't seem nervous, Medvedev simply suffocated him with an attacking approach in the first two sets, which proved to be a smart strategy.

Ultimately, the turnaround in his fortunes came down to perseverance – and perhaps some mental scars from the loss to Nadal on the same stage.

Medvedev had spent almost six hours more on the pitch in the two weeks in Melbourne than his younger opponent.

Three times he was forced to overtake his opponents in five-set matches and twice fought back from two sets down, including a remarkable semi-final against Germany's sixth seed Alexander Zverev.

With another five-setter on Sunday, Medvedev surpassed the previous record for time spent on court at a single Grand Slam tournament, the 23 hours and 39 minutes set by Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz en route to his US Open title in 2022.

Before the final, Medvedev spoke of Sinner having a physical advantage and knew he had to get off to a quick start to maximize his chances.

However, he failed to maintain the ferocity and depth of his groundstrokes and appeared more and more tired as Sinner struggled.