For the first time since 2005, tennis enthusiasts in Melbourne will not witness the familiar faces of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, or Roger Federer in the Australian Open men’s singles final.
Instead, they are in for a showdown between Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev, marking the first encounter between the two in a Grand Slam set.
The final is scheduled to commence on Sunday, January 28, at 3:30 a.m. ET and will be aired on ESPN, with streaming options available on the ESPN App.
In the 2024 Australian Open Semifinals, the world No. 4, Jannik Sinner, delivered a stunning performance by defeating world No. 1 Novak Djokovic with scores of 6-1, 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-3.
This victory brought an end to Djokovic’s impressive 33-match winning streak and a remarkable 2,195 days without a loss at the Australian Open, thwarting his historic pursuit of a 25th Grand Slam title.
Sinner now joins the exclusive company of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer as the only players to have beaten Djokovic in the Davis Cup, ATP Finals, and Grand Slam events.
Impressively, he achieved this feat in just 72 days, becoming the first Italian, male or female, to reach an Australian Open Final. Notably, Sinner did not concede a service break against Djokovic and has dropped only one set throughout the entire tournament.
On the flip side, Daniil Medvedev finds himself in the Australian Open Final for the third time in four years. Still chasing his first title in Melbourne and second overall, Medvedev’s journey has been challenging.
Remembered for his two-set lead squandered against Rafael Nadal in the 2022 Australian Open Final, the No. 3 seed recently secured a thrilling two-set comeback against Alexander Zverev, marking his third fifth-set match of the tournament.
Medvedev’s success in reaching this stage can be attributed to his dominant baseline game and stellar return skills, qualities that have consistently served him well on hard-court surfaces.
However, Sinner enters the final with notably fresher legs, potentially being the deciding factor in a match anticipated to feature numerous lengthy and physical baseline rallies.
Having lost the initial six matches of his career against Medvedev, Sinner has managed to turn the tide, winning the last three head-to-head encounters. As the spotlight falls on him once again, the prediction is that Sinner will emerge victorious against Medvedev in four sets.
