The 2025 Australian Open has delivered two weeks of thrilling tennis, and now, the stage is set for a blockbuster final between #1 Jannik Sinner and #2 Alexander Zverev. This is the third Grand Slam final for both players but they have had opposite results. Sinner has won both of his previous Major finals, while Zverev lost them. Sinner is on a 20-match win streak while Zverev has won 16 of his last 17 matches. Will Sinner defend his title, or will Zverev win his first Grand Slam?

Australian Open Men’s Final Preview

Jannik Sinner vs Alexander Zverev

Jannik Sinner

Sinner has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past one and a half years and is the most consistent player on tour. He has dropped just two set en route to the final and despite not playing at his very best in the semifinals against Ben Shelton, he won the match in straight sets. The world #1 outplayed Shelton from the baseline, which was expected, but how he neutralised Shelton’s huge serve was incredible. Sinner will head into this match as the favourite on paper.

Keys to Success

There is not much to choose between these two but one area where Sinner is significantly better than Zverev is the forehand. Sinner has to make the most of this gap and force Zverev to play forehand-to-forehand rallies.  Zverev tends to become passive and his forehand breaks down in key moments which is another reason for Sinner to keep the rallies on that wing.

Sinner has displayed superior mental strength in high-pressure matches and he should test Zverev’s nerves as much as possible. He can do that with his excellent defense and putting one more ball in on crucial points. Sinner has more firepower and can change the direction more effectively than Zverev. He has to do that to keep Zverev guessing.

Sinner might not have a better serve than Zverev, but he does have a significantly better return. Ben Shelton, who has one of the best serve in the world won only 57% of his first serve points against Sinner. If Sinner can neutralise Zverev’s big first serve, he will have a huge advantage in this match. The Italian has developed a superb forehand drop shot, which can be particularly effective against Zverev’s deep court position.

Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev just had to play one set in the semifinals due to Novak Djokovic’s mid-match retirement. This is the freshest Zverev has ever been entering a Slam final, so fitness should not be an issue, as it was in the 2024 French Open final. He is also more experienced now. The German has a singles title of every level in his bag except for a Grand Slam and this is his chance.

Keys to Success

Zverev was tentative and played passively against Djokovic during most of the first set which could have been a tactic to test Djokovic’s fitness by playing long rallies and it worked. However, he needs to find a better balance of offense and defense against Sinner. Sinner has a history of cramping in longer matches and was cramping in the third set against Ben Shelton. Zverev has to make this a physical match but he can’t get too passive as Sinner has the firepower to hit through him. He needs to maintain a good length and go for his shots whenever there is an opening, especially on his serve. He must play this to win and not wait for Sinner to hand him the match.

Zverev matches up extremely well against Sinner. These two have not played much since Sinner became a top player but Zverev should take some confidence from the winning head-to-head record against the Italian. Their last match in Cincinnati was extremely close and if the match goes to five sets, Zverev will have the physical advantage.

Zverev’s biggest strength is his serve and he has to bring his best and most precise serving day against a great returner like Sinner. The German doesn’t have the advantage in forehand-to-forehand rallies but he can go toe-to-toe or even best Sinner in backhand rallies. He should be brave enough to change direction on his forehand and go down the line since this will allow him to have more backhand-to-backhand rallies. The world #2 must also be ready to mix in some serve-and-volley and approach the net at opportune moments.

Main photo credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images