After the match, Zverev was comforted by Sinner in the post-match ceremony when coming to terms with his third major final defeat.

The German surprised some people with his performance including Mats Wilander, who believes Zverev was flat against Sinner.

A similar sentiment has been echoed by another former top 10 player in Jack Sock, who noticed something different about Zverev.

Jack Sock noticed something different about Alexander Zverev during Australian Open final

Zverev had actually won his most recent Grand Slam meeting against Sinner prior to the Australian Open final, beating him at the 2023 US Open.

However, this match went completely differently with Zverev unable to dictate the majority of rallies against the world number one.

When speaking about how this match played out, the aforementioned Sock suggested that the pressure of the moment got to Zverev unlike in his previous Grand Slam finals.

“I really thought he had a good chance of winning the tournament,” Sock said on the Nothing Major Podcast. “I watched a good bit of the match. This one felt like the first time him not having a Slam almost got to him a bit.

“For a guy who is one of the most level guys out there, even keel for the most part, nothing fazes him too much. He started complaining about his tension in the middle of the first set and then it spiralled. He gets new balls and I feel like he missed one forehand and it got in his head.

“It didn’t feel like he settled in like he usually does and didn’t feel like he really had a chance after the middle of the first until the end of the first.

“Sinner was completely locked in. That dude’s movement and ball striking is really fun to watch. Sascha will put himself in position again to win a Slam but this one felt like he was unsettled from the beginning which was interesting to see.”

Alexander Zverev’s Grand Slam Record

The Australian Open was Zverev’s third Grand Slam final defeat, and by far the most convincing after losing in straight sets.

In Zverev’s two previous Grand Slam finals at the US Open and Roland Garros, he has been a set away from the title and lost them both in five sets.

Wimbledon is now the only Grand Slam tournament where Zverev is yet to reach the final, having not surpassed the fourth round in his eight appearances at SW19.

Zverev’s best performing major is Roland Garros, which is coming up next, and the world number two will be hoping to go one better than last year’s final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz.

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