"Nobody’s perfect, but I’m trying every day": World No. 1 Sinner reflects on his relentless journey to Australian Open final

Jannik Sinner has reached the Australian Open final for the second consecutive year, though there are some concerns about his physical condition after a remarkable victory over Ben Shelton. The World No. 1 will aim to defend his title this Sunday when he faces Alexander Zverev.

The Italian displayed an impressive level once again, defeating American Ben Shelton (21st seed) in straight sets to reach his third Grand Slam final. This time, he will face second seed Alexander Zverev, who advanced to the final after Novak Djokovic retired from their match with only one set played.

Sinner's clash with Shelton started with a tense first set. The American began strongly, breaking Sinner's serve early, but the Italian managed to recover. Shelton served at 6-5 and squandered two set points before Sinner broke back and forced a tiebreak. After 72 minutes, Sinner clinched the first set, narrowly escaping defeat.

From that point on, Sinner dominated, winning the next two sets 6-2, 6-2, both lasting just over 40 minutes.“It was a crucial set,” reflected Sinner on his victory. “I think we both returned actually quite well. Just trying to stay calm in the important moments. I knew in the first set it was very important, especially when he was serving for the set. The tiebreak, I tried to play very solid, which then gave me confidence for the next couple of sets. So I’m very happy.”

Sinner has now won 36 of his last 37 matches and boasts a 46-3 record since becoming World No. 1 in June 2023. “Obviously, it’s a great position to be in,” said the Italian about his ranking. “As I said before, every day is a big challenge. Every day you have a different opponent. You try to understand what’s happening. Sometimes you have some issues, and then trying to understand what works best for that day and going for it. Everyone makes mistakes. Nobody’s perfect. That’s it.”

Sinner is now preparing for his first final of the season, in a clash featuring the tournament’s top two seeds. He will face Alexander Zverev, who leads their head-to-head record 4-2, though Sinner won their most recent encounter at the 2024 Cincinnati Open.

“First of all, it’s going to be mental. Then, of course, we played already,” said Sinner when asked about the matchup. “It’s going to be a tough match for both of us. It’s going to be physical, for sure. Then we see.”

“I think he played some incredible tennis to reach the final. It’s tough to say who’s the favourite because anything can happen. These are all questions we are going to get answered Sunday. It’s very difficult to talk in advance.”