Jannik Sinner dominates but Novak Djokovic is hurt in semis of Australian Open

Novak Djokovic dropped the first set in his 2025 Australian Open semifinal match against Alexander Zverev in a tie-break. But the issue for the Serb was not completely the German. Djokovic had injured himself, and there was no way he was going to be competitive after the first set if he tried to keep playing.

The key, though, was that the 24-time Grand Slam winner was not hurt against Zverev. Djokovic actually tore a muscle in his quarterfinal victory against Carlos Alcaraz. Sure, Djokovic did not win his 11th title in Melbourne but imagine the level he had to be playing even while he was injured to defeat Alcaraz and force Zverev to a tie-break in their only set.

Still, Zverev was playing at a high level as well. He was serving exceedingly well even while his normal level is fairly elite. He won 83 percent of his first serves against arguably the best returner in the history of the sport. He also had eight aces. Neither player was broken, though each did face several break points.

Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev reach the final of the 2025 Australian Open

Zverev is the best player of his generation not to have won a Grand Slam yet. He has won the ATP Finals twice, seven Masters 1000 titles, and has reached two major finals, including the 2024 French Open. He will be a problem for his final opponent, Jannik Sinner.

The difference between Sinner and nearly every other player on hard courts, however, is that he moves as well as anyone in tennis, has a powerful serve, and can whip winners from either wing. He is a complete player that few are capable of matching. If Zverev is going to beat the Italian, he might have to play his best match ever.

Sinner's semifinal opponent, Ben Shelton, could not do that. Shelton and his enormous serve hung around with Sinner for a set, even having two set points. Sinner was able to break Shelton late in the set, though, to force a tie break that the Italian completely controlled.

This set up the final two sets, which the Italian won 6-2 6-2. The sets were not close, including a love break of the American late in the third set.

The final will probably be a more competitive match, as Sinner and Zverev have been two of the more consistent high-level players over the last six months. The 23-year-old Sinner will be going for his third major title with the 27-year-old Zverev trying for his first.

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