Jannik Sinner is truly something else. The world No. 1 not only defended his Australian Open crown valiantly, but he did so while battling sickness and fatigue that nearly took him out during the quarter-finals. On the day he faced Holger Rune, Sinner struggled with his health, appearing with shaky hands as he clutched an ice towel to his face. His form noticeably faltered mid-match, yet with determination and a bit of luck, he emerged victorious, ultimately making it to the semifinals and finals before sealing his second AO title in a row. If you’re not impressed, Boris Becker certainly is.
During the match, spectators noticed that Sinner was having a hard time but managed to win the first set 6-3. However, he faltered in the second, losing it 3-6. After taking an 11-minute medical timeout, he returned to the court which was followed up by a net mishap that caused a 20-minute delay in the third set, allowing Sinner to regroup and ultimately win the match 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. What had gone wrong?
Well, Sinner’s coach, Darren Cahill, revealed that Sinner had felt unwell since waking up. He said: “We knew from the day before that he wasn’t feeling well, so he went to bed early. We canceled his training, I think he had to play around 2:30pm. We had booked a warm-up for the morning and canceled it and moved it to noon, and when he showed up on the pitch he looked white as a sheet.”
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And rightly so, Channel Nine reporter Brendon Speed noted of Jannik’s off-behaviour noting, “There are worrying signs for the defending champ.” Elsewhere, Todd Woodbridge remarked on Sinner’s distressed demeanor, stating, “He looks ill.” Despite these challenges, Sinner managed to show up and compete. As Darren noted, “We cancelled all training, went to the doctor, they gave him some gels to boost his energy. He rested, took an ice bath to get him going again, and we threw him onto the field without warming up’.” Seeing the Italian’s resilience, Boris Becker expressed his admiration with a simple yet powerful response on X: “wow.”
His eventual 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory against Rune propelled him into the semifinals, where he continued his dominance. He clinched the title without having dropped a single set against challenging players like Alex de Minaur, Ben Shelton, and Alexander Zverev; Sinner’s ability to perform under pressure has left fans and legends alike in awe. Alongside Becker, tennis great Andre Agassi was equally blown away by Jannik’s caliber.
Agassi’s High Praise for Sinner After AO Victory
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After Jannik Sinner secured his third Grand Slam title on January 26, Darren Cahill shared exciting insights about Sinner’s growth. Cahill mentioned that his “good friend” and former mentee, Andre Agassi, frequently discusses the Italian star. According to him, the former American legend admires Sinner for his playing style, which interestingly, is similar to his own!
In an interview with Functional Tennis, Cahill noted, “He speaks to me a lot about Jannik. Says when he sees Jannik play, he sees every ball as an opportunity to finish the point. That’s what’s Jannik; most players like myself will get onto the court and you have to try to find a weakness, and he puts the ball into a certain part of the court where you feel like you’re safe. But no ball is safe.”
Both players excel at the baseline, showcasing exceptional timing and footwork that allows them to dominate rallies. While Agassi was known for his incredible return game, Sinner is actively working on enhancing his net play and serve to become even more effective. He rarely takes a step back, instead opting to take control of points with aggressive shot-making. According to Agassi (via Cahill): “That’s his greatest strength. That he can generate pace, power, angle, and precision from any part of the court, and he’s improved his game; he’s coming to the net more now.”
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In the final against Zverev, both players were locked in an epic rally during the second set. Everyone was on the edge of their seats as Sascha started to find his groove, but the pressure was intense. However, Zverev’s decision to rush to the net didn’t pan outgiving Sinner the perfect opportunity to nail a brilliant shot that won him the tiebreak at 6-3, 5-6, 30-40. As Cahill noted, “Transitioning more, sensing more opportunities; his serve has improved.” Sinner didn’t face a single break point during the match, which is a remarkable feat that puts him in elite company alongside legends like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
This is just the beginning of what promises to be an exciting 2025 season. Will we see even more wins from Sinner in the coming months? Share your thoughts in the comments below!