Jannik Sinner’s Australian Open triumph could usher in a new era for tennis as 22-year-old Italian is the youngest male winner in Melbourne since Novak Djokovic in 2008

Jannik Sinner battled back from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev on Sunday, becoming a Grand Slam champion at the age of 22 in a showdown befitting the start of a new era.

Not since 2005 had the Australian Open seen a men’s final without at least one of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal. Nobody other than those Melbourne Park monopolisers had triumphed since Stan Wawrinka in 2014.

Until Sunday, that is. By the end of this epic encounter, 283 points had been played. Medvedev won 141. Sinner won 142, the last of which was a sublime forehand winner down the line that made him the first Italian man to secure a Grand Slam singles title since Adriano Panatta 48 years ago.

No 4 seed Sinner triumphed 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in three hours and 44 minutes in his first major final — though amid the euphoria of him becoming the Australian Open’s youngest male champion since a 20-year-old Djokovic in 2008, you had to feel for Medvedev.

The 27-year-old became the first man in history to lose two Grand Slam finals after leading by two sets, having succumbed to Nadal at the 2022 Australian Open. 

He spent more than 24 hours on court in Melbourne — another record — and the No 3 seed did not have the legs to outlast Sinner in this latest marathon match on Rod Laver Arena. 

‘At least I got a record in something,’ said Medvedev, still able to joke despite being mentally and physically sore. He was also gracious in defeat, telling Sinner: ‘You deserve it.’

The last player aged 23 or younger to win a Grand Slam final from two sets down was Bjorn Borg, against Manuel Orantes at the 1974 French Open.

Sinner said: ‘There are so many emotions. I have to sit down and process it, but it is an unbelievable feeling.’

Medvedev adopted an ultra-aggressive approach for this final. Usually, he positions himself deep behind the baseline when returning. Here, he was pushing up, a gutsy game plan concocted between him and his coach, Gilles Cervara, to unsettle Sinner.

Djokovic did not generate a single break point in his semi-final dethroning by Sinner, but the Italian was broken twice in the first set amid this Medvedev masterclass. Medvedev had won 50 of his 51 previous Grand Slam matches on hard courts after claiming the opening set — the only other defeat being that loss from two sets up to Nadal in 2022.

That was why, when Medvedev secured the second set after another pair of breaks, he knew better than to think he was as good as the Australian Open’s newest champion.

The 15,000 spectators inside Rod Laver Arena urged Sinner to turn this into a contest. Despite seemingly telling his team he was ‘dead’, the third set was where we finally saw the talent which denied Djokovic his crack at a record 25th Grand Slam crown. 

Sinner was helped by mistakes from Medvedev as tired forehands flew into the net, with the Italian halving the deficit before his opponent exited for a bathroom break.

If that was an attempt at disrupting Sinner’s flow, it did not work. Serving to stay in the fourth set at 5-4, Medvedev was broken as the match went the distance.

This was the 35th five-setter at this year’s Australian Open, equalling the Open Era record set at the 1983 US Open.

Medvedev was overwhelmed in the decider as it was confirmed he had now spent more than a full day on court at Melbourne Park. Sinner broke for a 4-2 lead with a forehand cross-court winner to leave his weary opponent on the brink.

Leading 5-3 and serving for the championship, Sinner showed composure beyond his 22 years, sealing his first major title in style with a stunning forehand winner.