Merciless Sinner wins back-to-back Melbourne titles

Jannik Sinner once again proved himself to be the top player in men's tennis today with a ruthless victory over Alexander Zverev, successfully defending his Australian Open title.

As the top seed, the Italian Sinner performed exceptionally well at crucial moments, defeating second seed Zverev with a score of 6-3, 7-6(7-4), 6-3 to win the match. Despite being in the shadow of a doping case, Sinner was able to shut out distractions and win his third Grand Slam title.

On his first championship point, Sinner sealed the victory with a calm cross-court winner. The 23-year-old then calmly raised his hands and celebrated with his team. Sinner said, "This was an incredible match for me, and I hope to maintain this form." He also became the first Italian player to win three Grand Slam titles.

This straight-sets victory fully demonstrated Sinner's resilience in baseline rallies, his strong physical condition, and his steely will. Zverev failed to gain any break points throughout the match, and as the match progressed, his performance became increasingly frustrated, making it difficult to pose a threat to Sinner.

The 27-year-old German became the sixth player in the Open Era to lose his first three Grand Slam finals in a row, having previously lost in the 2020 US Open and 2024 French Open finals. Zverev slumped dejectedly in his chair after the loss, covering his face with a towel, looking very disheartened.

Zverev said after the match, "It feels terrible to stand next to this trophy." His speech was also delayed by a disturbance from a spectator. "I had hoped to be more competitive, but Jannik was just too good—it's as simple as that."

The challenge facing Sinner this year is how to continue his most glorious season of his career, and his most dominant recent performance. His strong showing at the Australian Open indicates that he is fully capable of reaching previous heights, including winning two Grand Slam trophies, six ATP Tour titles, winning the Davis Cup with the Italian team, and achieving an amazing record of 73 wins in 79 matches.

What is even more remarkable is that Sinner achieved such success against the backdrop of a doping case. In August of this year, Sinner was exposed to a positive test for clostebol, causing an uproar in the tennis world. Although the International Tennis Integrity Agency determined that he had not violated any rules, the World Anti-Doping Agency has appealed this decision and is seeking a one- to two-year ban.

In difficult times, the tennis court has become Sinner's haven. His way of coping has been to try to "isolate" himself as much as possible, and his coach Darren Cahill said that no one is "bulletproof." However, in the current situation, Sinner has done his best to be "fully armed."

He had a relatively easy time advancing through the rounds, with the hot and humid weather being his toughest challenge in the fourth round against Danish player Holger Rune. The ruthless way he defeated Zverev was a stark contrast to last year when he came back from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev.

He calmly seized his first championship point, first luring his opponent forward with a drop shot, and then defeating him with a backhand drive, fully demonstrating his composure and confidence.

Zverev has always longed to shed the label of "the best male player who has not yet won a Grand Slam title." As a teenager, Zverev followed his brother Mischa on the tour, and his talent quickly made him seen as a strong contender for a future Grand Slam title. However, his wait continues.

After the match with Sinner began, Zverev was more prone to collapse in baseline rallies. When Sinner targeted his weaker backhand, he became impatient, and errors from the backhand led to him being broken at 4-3. Sinner showed his excellent performance throughout the match, easily taking the first set.

Zverev finally collapsed on his fourth break point, and Sinner turned defense into offense, forcing Zverev to hit a weak volley into the net. Sinner not only had powerful baseline shots, but also had nimble footwork and quick reactions at the net, and then extended his lead with a precise ace out wide.

It is no wonder that Zverev looked completely deflated, feeling the need to leave the court to collect his thoughts after the match had only been going on for 46 minutes. However, Sinner's challenge continues. Although Zverev held his serve in the second set, his tight frown indicated that he did not believe he could defeat his opponent.

In the second-set tiebreak, a lucky net cord gave Sinner a 5-4 lead, which did not help Zverev. After Sinner took a two-set lead, Zverev put his hands on his hips and angrily threw his racket into his bag. Zverev's chances of turning the tide looked slim, and Sinner's break in the sixth game was enough for him to easily win the match.