Facing Sinner, particularly on hard courts, reminded Zverev a lot of trying to solve the challenge presented by none other than 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic.

“He’s very, very similar to Novak when he was at his best. They barely miss. Like, barely miss. They make you think like you have to overhit all the time to have a chance in a rally against them,” Zverev said after losing to Sinner 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 at Melbourne Park on Sunday night.

“It’s very, very difficult to win a point from the back of the court against them — against Novak and him,” said Zverev, who is ranked No. 2 but felt much further away from No. 1 Sinner in Rod Laver Arena.

“(Both) move, obviously, tremendous. They’re constantly on the baseline. They don’t give you any space. They don’t give you any time.”

Sinner, still just 23, is a long way from achieving just a fraction of what Djokovic has at 37, of course.

And just as Djokovic had a couple of hurdles by the names of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to deal with, Sinner is not alone among the newest generation of tennis stars. His top rival at this point is Carlos Alcaraz, who has four Slam victories at age 21 — and won all three matches he played against Sinner in 2024.

Still, it made sense to think of Djokovic while watching Sinner extend his record in major finals to 3-0, which includes a U.S. Open title in September.

What about Jannik Sinner is similar to Novak Djokovic?

The never-give-an-inch court coverage. The squeaking sneakers while sprinting, stretching, sliding to reach shots that most other players wouldn’t. The ability to flip from defense to offense in a split second. The wherewithal and reflexes to neutralize even the biggest servers.

Add it all up — plus a serve good enough to avoid any break points against Zverev — and Sinner is certainly formidable.

Those Djokovic-like tendencies are not mere coincidence.

Sinner, who is from Italy, modeled himself after the Serbian star.

“Game style-wise I looked up to him, trying to understand what he’s doing, how he handles the pressure moments and important moments,” Sinner said. “I still believe we are different as players, because everyone is different, but for sure we have similarities. The similarities are having quite clean ball-striking from the baseline, having good movement, understanding a little bit where your opponent (is going to play) the ball.”

Australian Open champion Sinner keeps improving

The swift improvement Sinner has made over the past couple of years is unmistakable.

It’s why he ascended atop the rankings last June and hasn’t budged. It’s why he is 80-6 with nine titles since the start of last season. It’s why no one wants to play him these days.

Zverev was 4-2 against Sinner before Sunday, including wins at the U.S. Open in 2021 and 2023.

How much has Sinner changed since then?

“He serves better. He returns better. He hits his forehand better. He hits his backhand better. He moves better. He volleys better. I mean, there’s nothing that he doesn’t do better right now,” Zverev said.

“I remember those matches. Before, I always felt like once I was getting on top of the rally, I was winning most of those rallies. Now it’s like he’s prime Novak. It’s so difficult to go through him.”

The upcoming task will be to get better on clay and grass, the surfaces at the French Open and Wimbledon. Before play begins at Roland Garros in May, Sinner has a hearing scheduled in April in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s appeal of a ruling that cleared him in a doping case.

“At the moment, I’m not thinking about this,” Sinner said. “Of course, you have your moments, (on) certain days, where you feel like: ‘I wish I would not have this problem.’”

Sinner and his coaches talk a lot about growing his game

Sinner and his two coaches, Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill, all talk a lot about putting in hard work to grow even more as a player.

“He’s still young. … You never know what’s (going to) happen in the future, but for sure, he is a guy that tries to improve every day — going on court, (in) practice, trying to put new things (in) his game, trying to improve physically,” Vagnozzi said. “He’s one of the guys that can reach the top level. I mean, when we speak about top level, we think about Novak, about Roger or Rafa.”

Pretty heady company.

Credit: AP

The 22-year-old Italian broke Djokovic’s serve twice in each of the first two sets but missed a match point in the third set of a 6-1, 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-3 victory Friday that earned him a place in a Grand Slam singles final for the first time.

On his second match point, 55 minutes later, he made no mistake and completed his third win in four head-to-head encounters since a straight-set loss to Djokovic in last year’s Wimbledon semifinals.

“It’s always nice to have this kind of player who you can learn from,” Sinner said in his on-court TV interview.

“I lost last year in the semifinals in Wimbledon and I learned a lot from that. The confidence from the end of last year has for sure kept the belief that I can play the best players in the world.”

The youngest player to reach the men’s final in Australia since Djokovic’s first title in 2008, Sinner will play either third-seeded Daniil Medvedev or No. 6 Alexander Zverev for the championship on Sunday.

Djokovic’s bid for a record-extending 11th Australian and 25th major title overall will have to wait.

He hadn’t lost a match at Melbourne Park since 2018 and was on a 33-match winning streak at the season’s first major.

Every previous time he’d won a quarterfinal in Australia, Djokovic had gone on to win the hardcourt title.

“He’s deservedly in the finals. He outplayed me completely,” Djokovic said.

“Look, I was, in a way, shocked with my level — in a bad way. There was not much I was doing right in the first two sets.

“Yeah, I guess this is one of the worst Grand Slam matches I’ve ever played. At least that I remember.”

Sinner took the first two sets in under 1 1/4 hours in an astonishing start to the match.

But Djokovic picked up his service percentage, cut down his unforced errors and and upped the pressure on Sinner in the third.

Djokovic was serving at 5-5 and at deuce when play was interrupted while a spectator received medical help in the stands. After ambulance officers helped the man walk out, Djokovic held serve and saved a match point at 5-6 in the tiebreaker.

Djokovic won three straight points to force a fourth set, but was immediately in trouble again on his serve.

He fended off three break points to hold from 15-40 down in the second game of the fourth but Sinner got a decisive service break in the fourth game, winning five straight points from 40-0 down to take a 3-1 lead.

Continuous chants of “Nole, Nole, Nole, Nole” echoed around Rod Laver Arena between big points from Djokovic fans encouraging their champion, giving it a football vibe.

It helped lift the intensity of both players.

The chair umpire asked spectators three times to keep quiet with Sinner serving for the match.

The loss to Djokovic at Wimbledon has become a turning point in their rivalry. After losing the first three meetings, Sinner won two of the next three — all in November — in the group stage of the ATP Finals in Turin and in the Davis Cup semifinals.

Sinner was the only player in the final four who didn’t drop a set in the tournament, and he spent almost four fewer hours on court through five rounds than Djokovic, who was taken to four sets three times.

Still, the odds were stacked against fourth-seeded Sinner.

But he played calm, nearly flawless tennis in the first two sets and piled pressure on Djokovic’s serve in a relatively cool 21 degrees Celsius (70 Fahrenheit) and a light breeze.

He was holding his serve with relative ease against a player contesting a 48th Grand Slam semifinal.

Djokovic rallied, as he always does, to make Sinner win it. But he had few chances and didn’t get a look at a break point in the match — the first time he’s experienced that in a completed Grand Slam match.

The 36-year-old Serbian star missed his first chance to be just the third person in history to win 11 titles at any Grand Slam event — Rafael Nadal has 14 French Open titles and Margaret Court won 11 Australian Open women’s titles.

Credit: AP

It was the first championship final of the 15-day tournament that began Jan. 14.

Hsieh and Zielinski led 4-0 in the match tiebreaker before Krawczyk and Skupski fought back. The teams were tied 7-7, 8-8 and 9-9 before the winners pulled away with the final two points.

Hsieh has a chance for a second title — she will play in the women’s doubles final at Melbourne Park with Elise Mertens on Sunday. The mixed doubles win Friday was her seventh major doubles title, including four women’s doubles titles at Wimbledon.

“I thought it was a really tough match, but we made it,” Hsieh said at the trophy presentation.

“But I thank you so much for the great match. It was really fun on court to play against you guys.”

Krawczyk was attempting to complete the career Grand Slam in mixed doubles.

She won Wimbledon in 2021 and 2022 with Skupski and the French Open and U.S. Open, both in 2021, with Joe Salisbury.

Credit: AP

Li, who also won the French Open, is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and remains the only player from her country to earn a major singles title. She was a trailblazer, serving as inspiration for Zheng when she was a kid learning the sport in China. The two spoke in person for the first time during this Australian Open, and Zheng credits Li with offering some key advice.

“She (told) me: ‘Don’t think too much. Just go for it,’” the 12th-seeded Zheng said after eliminating qualifier Dayana Yastresmka 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday.

“That’s enough, I think.”

That approach has carried Zheng this far, but it’s likely some exceptional play will be required to derail defending champion and second-seeded Sabalenka in the final, which is scheduled to begin Saturday at 7:30 p.m. local time in Melbourne.

Sabalenka, a 25-year-old from Belarus, hasn’t dropped a set during the past two weeks. Her 7-6 (2), 6-4 victory over Coco Gauff in the semifinals — a rematch of the U.S. Open final won by the American teen in September — made Sabalenka the first woman to reach consecutive title matches at the Australian Open since Serena Williams made three in a row from 2015-17, winning two of them.

“One more to go,” said Sabalenka, a finalist at three of the past five hard-court Slams.

Sabalenka, who briefly displaced Iga Swiatek at No. 1 in the rankings last season, has only faced Zheng once, beating her in the U.S. Open quarterfinals a few months ago. But they have practiced together often, including in Australia, and Sabalenka offered a scouting report about Zheng’s style that sounds similar to what folks say about Sabalenka’s: “Really aggressive tennis.”

Both thrive with big serves — Zheng leads the women’s field in aces by a wide margin — and powerful forehands.

One edge for Sabalenka: She’s been here before.

After losing to Zheng, Yastremska sized up the final, saying: “If she will be able to stay stable emotionally — and if she will be able to hold her level up like she (did) today pretty well in important moments — she can win. And she can win, I will say, even pretty easy.”

Hmmmm. Perhaps.

Sabalenka represents a major step up in quality. Until now, Zheng has not had to play anyone ranked inside the Top 50 through her half-dozen matches, instead playing foes who are Nos. 54, 75, 76, 93, 94 and 95.

Still, to those who’ve been paying attention, Zheng is not a revelation, someone who suddenly managed to sneak her way this far at a major.

Still just 21, she’s been climbing up the ranks, and the rankings, for some time now, earning year-end WTA honors for being the newcomer of the year in 2022 — when she was the only player to take a set off eventual champion Swiatek at the French Open — and comeback player of the year in 2023.

Now Zheng will make her debut in the Top 10 in Monday’s rankings, regardless of the outcome against Sabalenka.

And Zheng found it meaningful that her own breakthrough came at the site of one of Li’s biggest successes.

“She means a lot, I think, for all the Chinese kids (my age). Because, I think, she’s the first one who won the Slams. I mean, that’s unbelievable for an Asian woman in that moment,” said Zheng, whose coach, Pere Riba, was part of Gauff’s team at the end of last season. “She gives a lot of hope in that moment (to) young kids.”

You have to see it to be it, as Billie Jean King likes to say.

And now Zheng could provide the same sort of spark for a new generation. The Rod Laver Arena stands were dotted by Chinese flags and signs held by spectators who offered plenty of support.

Zheng addressed them in Mandarin to offer thanks after closing out Yastremska with a service winner.

She said later that it felt as though she were playing at home.

When Li appeared as a guest of Tennis Australia earlier in the tournament, she was asked what it means to see Zheng playing well.

“Good for her, for (Chinese) tennis,” Li said.

Credit: AP

The sixth-seeded Zverev was a up a break in the third set at 5-3 and missed a chance to serve it out but the Olympic champion didn’t blink when he got another chance in the fourth, finishing off a 6-1, 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-4 victory.

Alcaraz won Wimbledon last year and was the only player to beat 10-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic in a Grand Slam match in 2023. The 20-year-old Spaniard won’t get the chance in Australia this time.

It was Zverev’s first win over a top-5 player at a Grand Slam, and the reward was a spot in the semis for the seventh time at a major.

“Look, I’m playing one of the best players in the world, especially over the last two years,” Zverev said. “He’s been No. 1, No. 2 constantly. He’s won two Grand Slams. And when you’re up 6-1, 6-3, 5-2, you start thinking. I mean, we’re all human.

“Then when you start winning, obviously your brain starts going. It’s not always helpful but I’m happy I got it at the end. I fought back quite well in the end, didn’t let go.”

Medvedev, a two-time finalist in Australia, outlasted ninth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 to make it to the semifinals at Melbourne Park for the third time in four years. Djokovic will play Jannik Sinner in the other semifinal.

Zverev said he’d been taking some beatings from Medvedev recently but “maybe this will be it. Maybe this will be the place.”

No. 12-seeded Zheng Qinwen and Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska won women’s quarterfinals on Day 11 and will play their first Grand Slam semi when they meet after a night sleep.

The sixth-seeded Zverev was on top of Alcaraz early, getting 16 of his 18 first serves into play in the first set and winning the point on all but two.

He raced through the first set in 29 minutes and two service breaks in the second gave him a 2-0 lead.

Just after midnight, Zverev was serving for a straight sets win when Alcaraz broke for the first time. Alcaraz got back to 5-5 when he chased a shot into the doubles alley and knocked a backhand down the line, beaming a big smile and shaking his racket in a gesture that suggested: “Hello, still here.”

He won the last seven points of the tiebreaker to make it 2-1, flashing a big smile after earning four set points when he chased a ball wide and hit a forehand passing shot.

After an exchange of service breaks to open the fourth and some energy-sapping rallies that had both players sprinting side-to-side to make incredible shots, Zverev got another chance to close out after breaking in the ninth game.

He clinched the victory about 1:20 a.m. local time, letting out a scream of relief and shaking both arms in celebration.

Medvedev’s celebration was more like a sigh of relief. He led 4-2 in the fourth set but No. 9 Hurkacz rallied to force a fifth and took it to a grueling four hours.

“I’m so destroyed right now,” Medvedev, the 2021 U.S. Open winner, said in his on-court interview as he stood with his hands clasped behind his head.

The No. 3-ranked Medvedev has had a tough run in Melbourne, including a nearly 4 1/2-hour, five-set second-round win that finished at 3:39 a.m.

The women’s semifinal lineup was completed when Zheng won 10 of the last 11 games to fend off Anna Kalinskaya 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-1 and Yastremska beat beat Linda Noskova 6-3, 6-4. Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and U.S. Open winner Coco Gauff will meet in the other semifinal.

The 19-year-old Gauff beat Sabalenka in the U.S. Open final and is on a 12-match streak in majors. Sabalenka is on a 12-match winning run at Melbourne Park.

Zheng, a U.S. Open quarterfinalist last year, regained control midway through the second set after Kalinskaya won six of the last seven points to take the first set in a tiebreaker.

“Really excited. First time for me,” in the semifinals, Zheng said. “Of course I’m proud of myself. But this is just the beginning — I still need to play tomorrow.”

No. 93-ranked Yastremska won three matches in the qualifying tournament and became only the second qualifier to reach the women’s singles semis in Australia in the Open era.

“It’s nice to make history because at that time I was not born,” she said. “I’m super happy (but) very tired.”

Noskova beat top-ranked Iga Swiatek on her way to her first Slam quarterfinal but after getting an early break, was no match for Yastremska.

After the match, Yastremska wrote a message on a TV camera lens and later explained it was “about the Ukrainian fighters, that I’m very proud of them. They really deserve a huge respect.”

She said she’s inspired by representing her country, which has been at war for nearly two years since the Russian invasion.

“It’s my mission here,” she said. “If I do well, I can get — tough to express. I’m just trying to give the signal to Ukraine that I’m really proud of it.”

Credit: AP

“I wasn’t quite sure of how I was gonna do this,” an emotional Barty said to good friend and former doubles partner Casey Dellacqua in a video posted to Barty’s social media.

She said: “It’s hard to say … I’m so happy and I’m so ready. I just know at the moment in my heart for me as a person this is right.”

Barty is the current world No. 1 women’s singles player, just the second Australian to reach that status in the WTA rankings era after fellow Aboriginal woman Evonne Goolagong Cawley.

Barty won three Grand Slam singles titles, her first a shock victory at the French Open in 2019, before winning Wimbledon in 2021 and the Australian Open earlier this year – making her the reigning champion in two of the four Grand Slams.

She finished the past three calendar years as the world’s number-one ranked player, a remarkable achievement reflecting her consistency across all court surfaces. That record placed her in the esteemed company of Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Serena Williams.

She also won the 2018 US Open in women’s doubles alongside Coco Vandeweghe, reaching a personal ranking as high as fifth in the world in doubles. In 2021, she partnered fellow Australian John Peers to claim a bronze medal in mixed doubles at the Tokyo Olympics.

A humble champion, Barty was awarded the Young Australian of the Year in 2020 and has garnered a host of other commendations for her work on and off the court.

Barty previously took an indefinite break from tennis after the 2014 US Open, subsequently converting to cricket and becoming a professional player for the Brisbane Heat in the inaugural edition of the Women’s Big Bash League.

At the time, she was ranked 40th in the world in doubles and outside the top 200 in singles. Today, her second retirement comes at the top of her game, undoubtedly the finest player in the world and strong favourite to add to her Grand Slam haul this season.

Barty told Dellacqua: “I kind of wasn’t sure how I was going to do this. But I think so many times in my life, both my professional and personal, you’ve been there for me. I just couldn’t think there’s no right way, there’s no wrong way, it’s just my way.

“This is perfect for me to share it with you, to talk to you about it with my team, my loved ones, that I will be retiring from tennis. That’s the first time I’ve actually said it out loud. It’s hard to say, but I’m so happy and I’m so ready and I just know at the moment in my heart for me as a person, this is right.

“I know I’ve done this before but in a very different feeling, and I’m so grateful to everything that tennis has given me. It’s given me all of my dreams plus more, but I know that the time is right now for me to step away and chase other dreams and to put the racquets down.”

She added: “It’s something that I’ve been thinking about for a long time. I’ve had a lot of incredible moments in my career that have been pivotal moments. Wimbledon last year changed a lot for me as a person and me as an athlete – when you work so hard your whole life for one goal, and I’ve been able to share that with so many incredible people.

“But to be able to win Wimbledon, which was my dream, the one true dream that I wanted in tennis, that really changed my perspective. I just had that gut feeling after Wimbledon and I’d spoken to my team quite a lot about it. There was just this little part of me that wasn’t quite satisfied, wasn’t quite fulfilled.

“Then came the challenge of the Australian Open, and I think that for me just feels like the most perfect way, my perfect way, to celebrate what an amazing journey my tennis career has been. As a person, this is what I want, I want to chase after some other dreams that I’ve wanted to do and always had that really healthy balance, but I’m really, really excited.”

Women’s Tennis Association chief executive Steve Simon said the tennis world would miss Barty who brought “unwavering professionalism and sportsmanship” to every match.

“We wish Ash only the very best and know that she will continue to be a tremendous ambassador for the sport of tennis as she embarks on this new chapter of her life,” he wrote in a statement.

Australian tennis player Thanasi Kokkinakis, who is also 25 and won the men’s doubles at the 2022 Australian Open, tweeted “Respect it” in response to Barty’s decision.

American tennis player Madison Keys, who Barty knocked out in the women’s singles semi-finals, congratulated the Aussie champion on an amazing career.

British tennis star Andy Murray said he was happy for Barty, but “gutted for tennis”.

While, former world no. 1 Karolína Plíšková said it was privilege to share a court with her.

“An incredible tennis player but more importantly one of the nicest people on tour,” she said.

Fellow Czech player Petra Kvitová said she was “so happy” to have been able to share the court with Barty and that tennis would never be the same without her.

“Ash, I have no words… actually you are showing your true class leaving tennis in this beautiful way,” she wrote.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also paid tribute to Barty.

“I particularly want to say thank you to you, Ash, for inspiring a generation of young people and particularly a generation of young Indigenous people in this country,” Mr Morrison said.

“You are all class, your commitment to excellence in your chosen field in tennis … I’m sure anything you turn your hand to you are going to be a great success, and I have no doubt that will be the case as you go forward with the next chapters in your life.”

Credit:

US Open champion Medvedev was going for his second successive major title.

Medvedev, 25, was in command before Nadal showed all of his renowned grit and fight to earn an extraordinary win.

The 35-year-old Spaniard has been at the centre of some of the sport’s most incredible triumphs – but this surely goes down as the most amazing Grand Slam victory of his illustrious career.

Nadal’s achievement comes only a few months after he thought he would never be able to return to the tour because of a foot injury.

In the absence of the deported Novak Djokovic and the injured Roger Federer in Melbourne, Nadal has moved one ahead of his great rivals in the race to finish with most major men’s singles titles.

It is the left-hander’s second Australian Open title and comes 13 years after his only previous success.

“Without a doubt it is one of the most emotional wins of my career,” Nadal, who had also previously lost four Australian Open finals, said after the trophy presentation.

Nadal’s emotional celebrations after adversity

Chronic pain in Nadal’s left foot restricted him to only one tournament in the final seven months of 2021, while a bout of coronavirus in mid-December also left him “very sick with fever”.

Those setbacks meant the Australian Open was just his second competitive event in five months, having won a warm-up tournament at Melbourne Park earlier in January.

Nadal sealed victory against Medvedev after five hours 24 minutes – and at 01:11 local time in Melbourne – when the second seed could not return a net volley on the first of the Spaniard’s three match points.

Dropping his racquet to the floor, Nadal stood motionless with his hands on hips as his jaw dropped. After a warm embrace with Medvedev, he walked towards his support team and exploded with emotion.

A triple first-pump was followed by a drop to his knees, his hands covering his face as he looked up to the sky.

Nadal slowly walked over to his players’ box, hugging Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley, on his way to embrace his father Sebastian.

The intensity of his celebration illustrated the euphoria Nadal felt after the obstacles he had overcome – on the night and in the recent months – to win.

Previously in his career, Nadal had only won three matches from two sets down and the most recent of those came at Wimbledon in 2007 against Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny.

Victory came at the end of the second longest Grand Slam final in history, just 30 minutes short of the 2012 final at Melbourne Park when Nadal lost to Djokovic.

So much had he given to his record-breaking achievement that during the trophy presentation, Nadal was brought a chair so he could sit down rather than stand.

“I’m physically destroyed,” Nadal said in his post-match news conference.

Medvedev’s irritation at the pro-Nadal support

At two sets up, Medvedev had looked well on course to back up his victory in New York with another triumph at Melbourne Park.

Nadal lacked fluency with his groundstrokes in the first set, particularly on the backhand side, and Medvedev took five games in a row to seal it, Nadal dumping another backhand into the net, the Spanish left-hander’s 16th unforced error against just five from his opponent.

The younger man’s dominance was also illustrated by his winning 31 of the total points compared to 17 by Nadal.

With all the statistics in favour of Medvedev, the second set unexpectedly turned Nadal’s way at 2-1.

Nadal ended a 40-shot rally with an angled backhand winner, setting up break points for the first time in the match, and an unforced error from Medvedev handed over the game.

Suddenly Nadal had a spring in his step – and had the crowd getting noisier too – as he moved 4-2 ahead.

Three successive breaks of serve followed, a run that ended with a dramatic ninth game that stunned the Laver crowd.

It included a set point for Nadal, five break points for Medvedev and the game being halted when a protester jumped on to court before being dragged away by security.

The set eventually went to a tie-break which Medvedev finished the stronger and it appeared doubtful Nadal, already looking tired and sweating a lot, could fight back.

Another pivotal moment came in the sixth game of the third set when Nadal, facing going two sets and a break down, fought off three break points.

Both men continued to hold serve until the ninth game when Nadal, whose indomitable spirit began to grow, pounced.

Medvedev, perhaps as a result of the finishing line coming into view, lost clarity of thought when he tried to prod over a volley and instead hit it into the net.

That brought raucous cheers from the crowd and Medvedev responded with a sarcastic clap of his racquet.

The Spaniard broke and served out the set to love, sending the pro-Nadal crowd into further raptures.

A tense fourth set featured 15 break points, with Nadal taking two of his 10 opportunities to tee up a decider.

Medvedev continued to be irritated by the support being given to Nadal, and the frequent noise during his service points, prompting umpire John Blom to repeatedly ask for calm.

Nadal now looked the man with the mental resilience needed to see the job through.

He broke for 3-2 but then wobbled when he served for the match at 5-4, only to break straight back to lead 6-5 and serve out victory at the second attempt.

In his on-court speech, Medvedev thanked his team, and joked: “I’m sure my wife is watching back home but I think the TV will be broken now.”

Medvedev, who lost last year’s final to Djokovic, was aiming to become the first man in the Open era to win his second Grand Slam title at the next major event after his maiden triumph.

He was the highest seed men’s player in Djokovic’s absence.

“If we talk about tennis, I’m not that disappointed,” Medvedev said.

“It was a huge match, for sure, and there were some small points, small details, that I could have done better if I wanted to win. But that’s tennis. That’s life.

“Rafa played unreal and raised his level. I mean, two sets to love up, I wanted just to go for him, go for more.

“He was really strong, the way he played for four hours, I was even surprised.”

Credit: BBC Sport

Australian fans have flocked to Melbourne Park to support the duo and provide a raucous atmosphere at their matches, bringing the doubles more attention than normal at Melbourne Park.

Having already toppled top seeds Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektic of Croatia in the second round, the duo got the better of compatriots Matt Ebden and Max Purcell in the final, winning 7-5 6-4.

Kyrgios (right) and Kokkinakis celebrate winning the title together in front of a packed crowd on Rod Laver Arena

The pair celebrated with a chest bump as they became the first all-Australian pair to win the title since Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde in 1997.

The pair have been friends since childhood and won the Wimbledon junior title together nine years ago.

“What a week,” said Kokkinakis. “Nick, I love you brother. I can honestly say we did not expect to even come close to this.”

Kyrgios added: “This week has been a dream come true and I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else. I’m just super happy. I don’t know how we’re doing this or what’s going on.”

A backhand from Kokkinakis sealed the first break of the match in the 11th game and the duo closed out the opening set on their service game.

The duo took a 4-3 lead in the second set after breaking to love before they had a match point denied by their opponents at 5-4.

The pair finally wrapped up the match on serve, with Kyrgios blasting two aces as they won the contest in 95 minutes.

It was a first doubles triumph for the pair at a Grand Slam and they also became the first wildcard team to win the Australian Open men’s doubles title in the professional era.

Credit: Sky Sports

Barty defeated Collins in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6 (2).

Born and raised in the steamy Australian state of Queensland, Barty has been ranked No. 1 for more than 100 weeks and has become a hugely popular figure in her home nation. Her matches during the Open this year have attracted large television audiences.

But until now, her most significant triumphs have come far from home. She won her first Grand Slam singles title in 2019 at the French Open and won Wimbledon last year when most Australians were unable to travel because of coronavirus restrictions.

But she was able to organize a “Barty Party” at home this year, defeating the 27th-seeded Collins in prime time in Melbourne. She was inscrutable throughout, as is her way, but there was nothing understated about her celebration.

After erasing two breaks of serve to rally from 1-5 deficit in the second set, she dominated the tiebreaker and finished off her victory with a forehand passing shot winner. Barty threw her head back and howled at length before embracing her former doubles partner and fellow Australian Casey Dellacqua, sitting courtside and now retired and working as a television analyst.

Barty was presented the winner’s trophy by one of her role models, Evonne Goolagong-Cawley, a four-time Australian Open singles champion who, like Barty, is of Indigenous Australian heritage. The two women from different eras — Goolagong Cawley is 70 — have developed a deep connection, and Goolagong Cawley’s appearance on Saturday night was a surprise.

“As an Aussie, the most important part of this tournament is being able to share it with so many people,” Barty said in her victory speech. “You guys today in the crowd have been nothing shy of exceptional. This crowd is one of the most fun I’ve ever played in front of and you guys brought me so much joy out here today. You relaxed me and you forced me to play my best tennis and against a champion like Danielle I know I had to absolutely bring that today.”

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