Since his semi-final at Wimbledon on July 14, 2023, the young Italian has continued to reach new heights, all the way to winning his first Grand Slam title in Melbourne on Sunday.
Published
Reading time: 4 min
The winner of the Australian Open, on Sunday January 28, against Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner officially entered the big league. At the age of 22, the Italian won his first Grand Slam title in Melbourne, after knocking out great champion Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals. A dedication that owes nothing to chance.
“At the beginning of the 2023 season, we didn’t see him winning a Grand Slam. Today it’s no longer a surprise. Sinner has established himself among the top 4 in the worldanalyzes Arnaud Clément, former 8th in the world. Last year he just improved on all levels. And, little by little, he climbed all the steps from Wimbledon.”. To the seventh heaven, therefore, at the Australian Open.
Wimbledon 2023: first Grand Slam semifinal
When he settled down in London at the end of June, Jannik Sinner was coming from the mixed clay season. Namely, the Italian was eliminated in the second round of Roland-Garros against Daniel Altmaier, then 79th in the world. To say that he is not a favorite is an understatement betting shops across the Channel. The eighth seed, originally from Trentino-Alto Adige, still has a fairly favorable picture to reach the last four.
Against Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner plays his first Grand Slam semifinal. At the age of 21, however, he does not hold much weight against the Serb, who dismissed him in three sets (3-6, 4-6, 6-7). “ONHe says for himself that it is not bad that he did it. The first step has been achieved. He could hardly have done better at this Wimbledon, especially considering the final that followed between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, who were both in another world at that moment.analyzed by Arnaud Clément.
Toronto: First Masters 1000 success
On the eve of Wimbledon, Jannik Sinner arrives in Toronto and prepares to change the dimension. After dismissing Matteo Berrettini, he took advantage of Andy Murray’s package to reach the quarterfinals. He emerged victorious from a high-scoring duel with Gaël Monfils, then earned a place in the final at the expense of Tommy Paul, who defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the previous round. The planets aligned for Jannik Sinner, who avoided Daniil Medvedev in the final, and the Russian was eliminated by Alex de Minaur.
Facing the Australian, Jannik Sinner won the battle (6-4, 6-1) to win his first Masters 1000 and climb to sixth in the world. “It had to be done, it is first of all a psychological successexplains Arnaud Clément. He had the tennis to win, we knew that, and he showed it during the big match against Gaël. It was logical to see him finally win a tournament of this level.”
Beijing: confirmation and entry into the top 5
However, this surge in power was halted during the US Open. In the meeting with Alexander Zverev, Jannik Sinner was eliminated in the round of 16. Time to absorb this disappointment, he returned to competition at the end of September, at the ATP 500 in Beijing. An opportunity for the Italian to continue his rise, as he won the tournament against Daniil Medvedev, after defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals.
“Psychologically, this reflects his evolution, quite fast, with all his progress. We’ve seen the research, we’ve seen the resultsnotes Arnaud Clément. It is difficult to link Alcaraz and Medvedev together. This shows that he has gained confidence. Moreover, Alcaraz admits at the end of the game that he was completely helpless”. Building on this success, Jannik Sinner entered the top 5 in the world for the first time.
ATP Masters: Djokovic on the mat for the first time
After taming Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz in Beijing, Jannik Sinner confirms his change of dimension during the ATP Masters in Turin. In the group stage, the Italian shines in front of his audience, defeating Novak Djokovic, the number one player in the world. In the final, Jannik Sinner found the Serb, who won this time, but it didn’t matter: the victory was in second place for the Italian. “At that moment a new hierarchy is established,” advances Arnaud Clément.
Our advisor continues: “Until then we had two monsters: Alcaraz and Djokovic, with Medvedev who seemed to be the only one who could knock them down, we realized that now we have a fourth client, with Sinner. It’s a game changer and gives him confidence for the Australian Open in January, as he proves he’s on par with these three.”
Davis Cup: dedication
At the end of the season, Jannik Sinner has a meeting with his homeland. Qualified for the final stage of the Davis Cup, Italy defeated the Netherlands in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, on the other hand, the Italians will face Novak Đoković’s Serbia. But the world No. 1 went down in three sets during his singles match against Jannik Sinner, who also won the doubles, still against Novak Djokovic. Enough to take Italy to the final, with a win against Australia.
For the first time since 1976, Italy won the Davis Cup, mostly thanks to Jannik Sinner. “For him, it’s the icing on the cake. In addition, he beats Djokovic the way Djokovic usually beats his opponents: by saving a match point. It’s the detail that countsassures Arnaud Clément, Especially since it means a lot to Djokovic to play for Serbia, and Grešnik holds and confirms that.” An ideal way to end an exceptional season for the Italian and build confidence to arrive at the Australian Open with confidence. With the result we know.