- Jannik Sinner won the Australian Open by beating Daniil Medvedev
- He is the youngest man to win in Melbourne since Novak Djokovic in 2008
- He is the first Italian to win a Grand Slam men’s singles tournament in 48 years
New Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner shared a touching moment with a young fan a day after triumphing over Daniil Medvedev at Rod Laver Arena.
Footage shared on X, the platform previously known as Twitter, shows the Italian holding the Australian Open trophy during a photo shoot at Melbourne Botanical Gardens.
The 22-year-old was joined by Nicholas Pashulya, a member of the Hot Shot Tennis academy in Victoria’s capital.
‘I wish you all the very best,’ Sinner can be heard saying before hugging Pashulya, who replies: ‘You’re my biggest inspiration’.
The lovely exchange came just 24 hours after Sinner became the youngest man to win the Australian Open singles tournament since Novak Djokovic in 2008.
Janik Sinner shared a touching moment with a young fan a day after triumphing at the Australian Open on Sunday
The Italian embraced the young fan, who described him as his biggest inspiration
Sinner came back from two sets down to beat Medvedev 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in three hours and 44 minutes in his first major final.
The world No 4 is the first Italian to win the Australian Open and the first Italian to win a Grand Slam men’s singles tournament since Adriano Panatta won the Roland Garros in 1976.
‘There are so many emotions. I have to sit down and process it, but it is an unbelievable feeling,’ Sinner said after beating Medvedev.
The last player aged 23 or younger to win a Grand Slam final from two sets down was Bjorn Borg, against Manuel Orantes at the 1974 French Open.
Sinner, however, suggested he relished the back-against-the-wall scenario.
‘I like to dance in the pressure storm,’ he said.
Once one of Italy’s most promising young skiers, Sinner swapped the slopes for the tennis courts as a teenager and had to cook and clean for himself at the age of 14 as he left home to pursue his dream.
Sinner came back from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3
He has never looked back and paid tribute to his parents during the trophy presentation on Sunday.
‘I wished that everyone could have my parents because they always let me choose whatever I wanted to,’ he said.
‘Even when I was younger I also made some other sports and they never put pressure on myself, and I wish that this freedom is possible for as many young kids as possible.
‘Thank you so much for my parents.’