Just not the way Sascha would have wanted! Alexander Zverev, the current world No. 2, recently suffered a humiliating loss in the Australian Open final against the top seed Jannik Sinner under the lights of Rod Laver Arena. It was their seventh head-to-head clash, where Sascha entered the match with a 4-2 advantage. Unfortunately, the German ace was defeated in straight sets. And, after Jannik Sinner secured his back-to-back Australian Open title, former Novak Djokovic coach and fellow German shared his candid opinion about the German and his approach right through the match.

Sascha had an incredible run at the AO till the final. He cruised through the first three rounds without dropping a set and lost just one set each in the 4th round and QFs, reaching the semifinals with ease to set up a clash against Serbian GOAT Novak Djokovic. However, the injured Serbian retired after just one set, sending Zverev into his third Grand Slam final after the US Open 2020 and Roland-Garros 2024. And, there, Sascha faced the high-flying Italian, Jannik Sinner for the 8th time. Unfortunately, Sascha fell short in straight sets, losing 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3, with Sinner hitting 32 winners. With the ‘Happy Slam‘ now done and dusted, the former ATP legend and Djokovic’s ex-coach shared his thoughts on the match.

The former No. 1 Boris Becker recently posted a video on his Instagram account where he speaks with Andrea Petkovic on their ‘Becker Petkovic’ podcast, about the AO final, where he added, “When he walked onto the court, with his shoulder slightly slumped forward and his head hanging low, I thought, oh God, oh God, oh God. He’s tense, he’s nervous. He’s not in the right mindset. This is going to be a tough one. Then Jannik Sinner stepped into the court. And he looked like pure sunshine. Focused, chest out, head held high. And in a final like this of course, its about strategy, forehands, and ball control. But above all its about mindset and your mentality. And for me, that was the big difference between Sinner and Zverev. Of course the South Tyrolean played perfectly – credit, where credit is due. On hard courts, he’s almost unbeatable not just for, Zverev, but for anyone”.

Sinner, 23, had an incredible 2024 season, winning eight trophies, and started his Australian Open journey with a bang. Despite an ongoing doping controversy, his performance has not suffered in the least. His third consecutive hard court Slam title is proof enough – and to think he played through sickness and exhaustion throughout.

Now, carrying his 2024 form into the new season, Sinner will look forward to another blistering year, having already established dominant runs in every tournament he has appeared in. In fact, right after the match, the German No. 2 made headlines with his brutally honest opinion of Sinner’s form against him.

Alexander Zverev shared his honest opinion of Jannik Sinner after the final Melbourne showdown

Sinner dismantled Zverev’s gameplay like a hired assassin in the final! The ‘Sui Generis’ athlete from Italy showcased his immense confidence and sheer dominance as he triumphed over Sascha before a record-setting audience of 1.2 million. And, the final score? A 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 finish – an outcome few had predicted on the historic 120th anniversary of the prestigious Australian Open final at Rod Laver Arena. Adding to Sinner’s advantage was his last encounter with Sascha in August 2024, where he edged out the German in a tight three-set battle on the hard courts of the Cincinnati Open. And after the match, with his career record against the Top 10 standing at 1-12, the German shared his thoughts on Sinner.

At the post-match interview, he said, “Jannik is better than me at the moment. It’s as simple as that. I think I serve better than Jannik, and everything else he does better. At the end of the day, he deserves to win. He’s the best player on hardcourts right now,”. Even John McEnroe, the former American tennis pro, also shared his raw opinion about Zverev.

“I was really surprised at the level Zverev came up with at the end of the second set and the third set. I don’t know what happened to him. He had no energy, he was flat as a pancake. He looked like the guy who got sick a couple of days ago, he looked weary and he played one set in five days. I don’t know what happened. I’m starting to wonder if there is the self-belief”, he added while talking to Eurosport after the final. As things stand, Zverev has now lost all three of his three slam finals. Do you think he will finally win one this year at one of the three remaining slams? Share your thoughts below!