World No. 1 Jannik Sinner Warms Up for Australian Open with Tough Win

Jannik Sinner kicked off his 2025 season with a hard-fought exhibition win in Melbourne, turning his focus to defending his Australian Open title.

Jannik Sinner Shifts Focus to Australian Open Title Defence

World number one Jannik Sinner has turned his attention to defending his Australian Open title, putting his remarkable 2024 season behind him. The 22-year-old Italian tennis star reflected on his “amazing” year, which saw him achieve a series of milestones.

Sinner's 2024 breakthrough was highlighted by his maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, followed by victories at the US Open and ATP Finals. With those accomplishments now in the past, Sinner is concentrating on the task at hand: successfully defending his Australian Open title. He began his preparations with a challenging exhibition match on Melbourne's centre court.

Following a stellar 2024 season, Jannik Sinner started the new year on a high note, leading Italy to their second consecutive Davis Cup title and cementing his position as the world's top player.

Sinner opted to skip the lead-up events to the opening major of the year, instead traveling directly to Melbourne for his first match of 2025. He faced a challenging opponent in Australian world number 25 Alexei Popyrin on a sweltering afternoon. Despite being down 5-2 in the second set, Sinner rallied to secure a 6-4, 7-6(2) victory on Rod Laver Arena.

Reflecting on his remarkable 2024 season, Sinner emphasized his focus on the present. “2024 was an amazing season for me, but it has already gone now,” he said. Having spent Christmas at home in the snow, Sinner arrived in Melbourne to a starkly different climate, with temperatures soaring to 40 degrees Celsius on the day of his arrival.

Jannik Sinner expressed his delight at returning to Melbourne, a city that holds special memories for him. “So many things have happened for me on this court and off the court,” he reflected. Despite the exhibition nature of his recent match, Sinner acknowledged the importance of getting a feel for the court and pace. “I'm very happy to be back, even if it is a kind of exhibition. For us, it's always very important trying to feel the court, the pace.”

Sinner's confidence is buoyed by the knowledge of the hard work he has put in. “In my mind, I know how much work we have put in, which hopefully will give me confidence, and we will see how it goes,” he added. With the Australian Open set to commence on Sunday, Sinner is focused on his campaign, despite the doping cloud hanging over him.

The Italian tennis star is awaiting the verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport after the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed the decision to exonerate him following two positive tests for traces of the steroid clostebol in March. Sinner's explanation, which was accepted by the International Tennis Integrity Agency, attributed the presence of the drug to treatment administered by his physiotherapist for a cut. The outcome of the appeal is still pending.