Unfortunately we're not winning the bigger trophy today, but I hope we'll win the next one. I hope we play a lot of more matches together and we want to keep the biggest trophy.
Gooday and welcome to the tennis for Day fifteen of AO twenty twenty five Men's Final Day. John Hubernas with all the big stories from Melbourne Park today. On the tennis, sensational Sinner does it again.
It's an amazing feeling to to share this moment with all of you.
While Sasha settles for second.
I don't want to and my career as the best player of all time to never win a grandstand.
Plus Melbourne's new queen the morning after her maiden major crown. And who would the fans most like to see perform on finals weekend.
I think it'd be all sir, yes Old and.
That's all ahead. On the tennis, Yannick Sinner has bolstered his credentials as the hard court king of the world, retaining his Australian Open championship with the straight sets victory over alex Verev. Sinna looked threatening in the fourth game of the first set, forcing Zverev to call upon his big serve to get out of trouble.
Says that wise the back.
End you heard the let's go as that ball was.
Still in the air because it was clearly going long. And Zverev holds two break points, he sees them.
Off and holds for two all Sinner's sliding volley to open up break points. At four to three in the first was assigned. The eighth game was going to be a crucial one, but Zverev's firepower proved a handy defense.
Zverev so heavily, really heavily.
Down the metal took center.
By surprise, he's still gott a racket on it, but he couldn't get it back over the net two one hundred and eighteen.
Just looking at that as a second servi.
As the game pushed beyond nine minutes, though something had to give.
Verev is there, lands that very close to the sideline, goes back behind Sinner. Sinner forced into a defensive forehand at the net.
Comes Verev. Two dogs from.
Senna and Yanik.
Senna finally breaks irving for the first set. The Italian was taking no prisoners three set points.
Theyick Sinner serves.
An as the defending champion taking a hold of the singles finals to night's against Alexander Zverev. The first set goes his way.
Vera's first double fault in the second set gave Sinner two chances to break for two to one, but again he escaped with two big winners, backed up by another ace. Neither player prepared to give an inch deep into the set, highlighted by one of the rallies of the tournament.
Speak fourhands served lantin four hen they got fined up the line, see it.
In, now put it away the five voice third once.
At that tight thinker.
Clean sheets from both finalists saw the second set decided in a tiebreaker. Sinner opened up daylight at three to two, but quickly coughed it up with an error at the end of a twenty shot rally, though it seemed was on his side, waits.
The first serve.
It's on the forehand. It's deep in the middle of the court. Now from Sinner, this takes an end. He just gets home. Can't get there. The deadis of dead neck courts, and that'll leaves Vereb a little flats.
And suddenly Zverev was staring down the barrel of a two set deficit.
Blocked back by vera short ball up the lineo Sinner to win, and he's in a very very strong position now in this men single final.
Sinna looked a class above by the time the match entered its third hour, Spinning straw into gold from the back of the court, up the line brilliantly from Verev, well.
Defended by Sinner, dropshop from Verev Sinner god and the vollemes the net from the German, and that is the story of.
The match right now.
He held to love in the fifth game of the third set, while the unforced errors began to mount for Zverev.
Still break point for Yannick sinnerrev serves forehand from Sinner, straight back in the court, straight at Zev nice off.
Four hand pull sierra from Zverev's racken. The relentless nature of the Sinner groundstrokes has grounds Verev down and he's broken.
In the sixth game, time was running out for the German, who is desperate to find a chink in the champions armor. But it was a bridge too far against the world's best player Sinner.
At championship point, second serve from Sinner onto the backhand is Verev backhand also from Sinner and from Zverev up the line goes Cinner jumping in plays another backend, quite good depth from the Italian, goes up the line again again.
Vere's the drop shot is not going to be too good for Zverev.
No, he makes it Crosscott is brilliant fabianca and he raises his hands aloft.
It's back to.
Back Australian Opens. He defends his in a.
Dominant performance hyper Alexander and for Sinner it's major number three.
We we worked a lot to be again in this position. It's it's an amazing feeling to to share this moment with all of you. I know also a part of the team is at home and and my family and everyone, but it's it's it's amazing to to achieve these things, but mostly to share.
This with you guys.
And I know Darren, it's your your probably maybe maybe I tried to convince you, but it's your last Australian Open as a coach and I'm very, very happy to to share this trophy with you.
Janick Singer is the King of Melbourne once again, his second Australian Open title in a row, his third major title. Overall, it wasn't quite the five set battle we had hoped for, but my goodness, there's a lot to unpack in just how Janick Sinner managed to pull this off. Simon Ray from GIG is back. Welcome Simon, Hey John, thanks for having me back. And I must say I'm very excited for the first time this tournament to have Peter Maccado, the voice of AO Radio.
With us people. I am giving you some of my time.
John.
It just happens to be right at the very end, clean all your guests schedule, and now you've got me before midnight.
I know.
Not badness happening here.
What a treat. The scoreline six three seven six six ' three probably doesn't even start to describe this battle. Because alex Verev put up a great fight tonight against a different beast of a player.
That's why he is so disappointed.
He's walking away with the straight sets loss because he played some great tennis, but the fellaw he was playing played even better tennis and has been playing out of
this world tennis for the last couple of rounds. Janick Sinner built his tournaments superbly, and I mean talk about players who be pretty happy with obviously Yanick Sinner pretty happy, but I reckon Raiser Tristan's school Kate would be pretty happy as well, as one of only the two players to take a set off Yannik Cinner through the tournament anyway, he was fantastic from start to finish.
Yanik he just controlled things. It was on his racket.
There was lots of variation in pace during the match and when they were in the long rallies, which Sinna won comfortably. That was for me one of the biggest factors that Zverev couldn't stay in the rallies long enough. Sinner was just struggling because there'd be changes of pace. He did an off pay shot Ciner and then he'd really go for it. Changed the complexion of the rallies.
Zverev didn't really have a lot of opportunity to get forward, and when he started to do that, he did give himself some opportunities to just try and break the rhythm of Cinner, but it was like a brick wall out there tonight.
It was one of the.
Dominant performances two hours and forty two minutes on court, but you still felt that Cinner was dominant despite the fact that his opponent was playing so well as well. It was just extraordinary.
All right, Razer, help us understand this from a numbers perspective, Well, it.
Was a stunning display. And really, if you told me going in that Zvera was going to serve at eighty one percent of first serves in play in the opening set at an average speed of two hundred and nineteen kilometers per hour, if you don't mind and be beaten six three in a fairly regulation opening set, I would have said, I think there's something wrong with that assessment.
So the inroads that Yarnix Centner was able to make against the Alexander Vera first serve was significant across the course of the night, and really on the flip side of that coin, I think the sinner had lost only five points on his first serve through the opening two sets. He was nearly flawless. And when he on the rare in the rare occasion that on the rare occasion that he did find himself fifteen thirty thirty all juice having to handle some moments of pressure is when his serving
elevated again. Yarnix center so he had it covered on the return of serve. Despite the heat that Vera was bringing to the table, and then it was a flawless It was the best displayer serving we'd seen from Younix Center across the fortnite or across the fifteen days, and he needed it the most.
So it was a breathtaking display. One of the things was that Zara was trying to do was try and upset that rhythm of Sinner. So he's returning position, he'd be up in the court. Then he switched it around. He'd be standing back and I mean way back in terms of that second serve to give himself a good swing at the ball. But the problem was that he was getting into those rallies. But it was more often than not it was Verev who was making the errors.
And it was the pressure obviously that Sinner was building, and it continued to build and build and build. But vere just at those moments you think he was trying to attack. He had to play with such fine margins to try and upset the rhythm of Sinner because he was running down absolutely everything. He was the one that was being forced into error and it was just because Sinner was just too good.
And you've already talked about the serve but there wasn't even a look in for Zvera with no break points across the all three sets.
No and again going in. You know, I thought that from a returner serve perspective, mindful, I guess or cognizant of the fact that Zverev's going to bring so much more heat on his own second serve than Yarnick Center.
And that was the case tonight, you know, in terms of second serve pure speed, Vera's right up there compared to Cinner And I thought, well, this is going to be interesting because Yarnick Center typically likes to be a lot more aggressive on second serve return with his positioning than Zverev, who can often retreat back in the court.
And I thought, well, I wonder if that could work in Vera's favor, because Yari's not going to find that so easy to be on or inside baseline against a second serve coming at of it let's call it one hundred and eighty kilometers an hour. And this is what makes this guy so good. So really we've not seen it from him all fortnite so far, and what does he do tonight knowing that that server is coming at one hundred and eight kilometers an hour. He says, that's
no problem. Everyone back, I'll go to plan B. I'll go back five and six meters tonight. You haven't seen it from me yet at this tournament, not consistently. Here it is tonight for the first time on the biggest stage of the tournament and executes really well. And what that does, and Pete's already shine a light on it. What that does is allow him to play the type of point in behind the serve and return that It really allowed him to dominate from the back of the
court and those lengthy rallies. It was one way traffic. I think from memory it was twenty six to thirteen when the rallies went beyond eight shots, so two to one in the favor of you Onix senate was a domination.
Yeah.
And the way that he constructed those points as well.
So he'd started off rallying with Zverev, who was a little bit further back in the court, so he had this loopy top spin, then be content to rally whether it was fourhand to four hand, backhand to backhand, then all of a sudden, sinner were just up the pace and then the point would really get going. So it was then going to be Zverev who was onto the back foot, and he was the one that was left scrambling more often than not. And that was the thing for me, just so clever in terms of how he
actually constructed those points. We talk about moments in the match. For Zverev, it was obviously that second set tie break where he did get the mini break early on too yep to put himself in front, give himself that opportunity. Then, of course you talk about moments that net cord, the deadest of dead net cords, and just the flating effect that that has when you've tried so hard just to keep pace with your opponent and you think, okay, if I can just jag this set, then the complexion of
the match changes. He gets the neck cord, he gets the lucky younix in it, and then he was able to run away with the match. So that deflation and we saw it. Obviously, Zarah was so frustrated, obviously, sitting in the chair and smashing rackets and things like that. You can understand why, because he was working so hard to keep pace. He finally thought, right, I've got an
advantage here. One of the few that he had in the match, but unfortunately luck and obviously anix sinner meant he couldn't continue on.
Well, let's hear now from the runner up. First of all, Alex is very following his loss tonight.
I'm doing everything I can. I'm working as hard as I ever did. I think I'm doing all the right things off courts. I think I'm practicing the right things. But I lost in straight sets today, so it's I mean, those are facts. I mean, that is a fact. I lost to Janik and sts at stas Or. I don't want to end my career as the best player of all time to never win a Grand Slam, That's for sure, and I'll keep doing everything I can to to lift one of those trophies.
Is it just a matter of finding versatility, like we saw from Janick Cinna, when the moments come and he needs to change it up a bit.
Well, again, I thought that the intent from this very of camp tonight was correct insofar as it didn't look like he was going to win those lengthy baseline exchanges and was maybe going to play into sin his hands in trying to do so. So he did look to get forward. I think he got forward tonight off the top of my head twenty six times and one just over just over fifty percent of those points, which was not enough. But some of those misses, some of the
execution that was below where it needed to be. We're in some pivotal moments of this contest, and I think that's the discussion point, isn't it, Because is it a plan that you just it might be the right plan, but is it absolutely can comitted to from the athlete or believed in from the athlete versus maybe the plan that's perhaps not as well thought through. But the conviction behind that plan is complete, it's resolute, and I think
that's the discussion point. So into the medium term, I think you're right, John, it was the right way to go about it from the Zverev camp, but some of his execution in those moments let him down.
It's going to be the question that gets asked, obviously, it's the one that our listeners on a radio talking about as well.
Will Zara be able to make that breakthrough?
And obviously when you consider that the players that are around him, with al KaAZ and Center in particular, the task gets a lot more difficult. He certainly played to such a high level throughout the tournament. I mean, his first week of the event was sensational. He was the form player. He was breezing through his matches relatively speaking, and then obviously the degree of difficulty started to increase
from there. So he can take plenty from this. Obviously, the disappointment will continue to fuel him on.
And drive him on.
He's a finalist at Roland Garross's last year, so there's nothing to say that he can't get back to the top. It's just that extra hurdle that has felled so many players over the years. And obviously he's also a player that wants to get it done sooner rather than later. Considering the next generation who have had a glimpse of here at AO twenty twenty five to see what they can do, he wants to get one in the bag now.
Now, pressure at both ends of this age spectrum. So where does this leave center then? Now three hard court titles and his twenty three years of age, clearly he's the new king of the hard court. So you'd put him down for US Open favorite. What other slams can you see him going the distance at in twenty twenty five?
Well, I'll probably ask you and Peter what other slams can we not see him going all the way out? I think he goes straight to the top of my reckoning when I think about Roland Garross being the next cab off the rank, and he can win Wimbledon too, He can do it all.
This guy his ceiling's.
Untapped calendar slam in making.
Possibly, Yeah, Wimbledon is probably more likely than Roland Garross, I'd say. I mean, obviously if he's dominating and steam rolling his way through, but he won that grass court title last year in Hullah, so he's sort of now he's away. He's got one of those on grass and obviously to be contender, he's obviously got enormous belief in himself. And if it's just it's that thing of building the momentum.
It's such a long season. Obviously anything can happen. But yeah, he's certainly installing himself, I would say for Wimbledon, and I'd say probably more Alcarez for Roland Garross at the moment. Obviously it's it's January and there's still a long way to go. But yeah, if you're on his day, obviously he comes into the number one player in the world, so he's got to be amongst the title fancies for every tournament that he plays this year.
It has been an incredible campaign after a really testing back end to twenty twenty four for Yannick's inner final. Thoughts on the tournament from both of you, Simon, so many highlights. For me, it was Lerner Tien's five set upst of Daniel Medvedev in the first week. But we usually do Ace of the Week on the show, so I'm going to put you on the spot Ace of the Fortnite for you favorite thing that you've seen or been a part of this week?
Well, probably selfishly, I was really lucky to have a close up view of the Vukchen Draper match on Margaret Corderina that finished in the weels, and I thought that was a phenomenal contest in terms of two athletes that literally left it all out there, and we saw what that did to Draper a couple of days later, potentially finished or ruined his campaign, but what a competitor he was to somehow find a way to prevail. And I thought Alex Vuksch did Australia proud that night as well, So that was.
One that leaves to the top of my page.
Beautiful and you Pete.
As always John when we do the podcast, I always picked more than one, so it's a fortnite actually get two because it was two weeks of a double as I will thank you Madison Keys Egiston Tech.
What a match that was from start to finish.
Fantastic tens and congratulations to Maddie for winning that title. Who made a major title, finally got there. And then Joe Fonseeka my goodness, talk about the next generation of players coming through, dismantling under a.
Rube Lev and then building his tournaments. He went along.
But even then this is turning into four or five. But the fans obviously had over a one point two million, a new record here, but just so many countries represented, so fonsakah, the Brazilian fans, we're out and abouts. We had Lebanese fans for the first time coming in and celebrating their player who made it through and started making history. There was obviously the Aussie fans were out in force,
but most countries were represented. Even the Finnish fans for the men's doubles final we're here too, So it's great to see that this is truly an international event.
And we've had great action.
The site has looked fantastic right from start to finish, and the vibees been positive.
So it's been a wonderful couple of weeks.
Wonderful. Well, thank you for your insights tonight, Pete in a wonderful campaign from the AO Radio team under your tutelage.
That's the ultimate highlight, John, and also to.
Your gig team, the insights on this program have been terrific, first class. Thank you so much, Thanks John.
Thanks for great for night.
Let's leave the final word to a men's champion for twenty twenty five, Yannick Sina.
What kind of champion do you want to be in people's eyes? I want to be.
Just a humble person, to be honest. I mean, I always remind myself where I'm from, and I'm from a small house in a small village with you know, an amazing family which I was very very lucky to have and I still have.
And that's it, you know.
I believe we are people who are very good in what we do, and so we are automatically also the inspiration for younger people.
But that's it.
No, we are not changing the world or whatever. So you know, why change ourselves with success?
Who do you dedicate as trophy too?
To all the people who are close to me? Twelve the people who I really love and this kind of of people they know who.
I love, and.
And also a bit, you know, to myself because it's it's I'm I was in a very difficult situation during this tournament, also before tournament, so I'm very happy Hawaii handle. But obviously without the people around this impossible.
Well she might have already had one of the biggest smiles in tennis, but you couldn't wipe the smile off the face of Madison Keys this morning, taking a stroll on Melbourne's iconic Brighton Beach with her new friend, the Daphney Ackerst Memorial Trophy, the Women's champion posing for photos with her silverware before reflecting on the biggest achievement of her fourteen year professional careers.
Close on Madison James, she is a champion.
The last kind of twelve hours has been very quick. Didn't sleep a whole lot last night, but being able to just win my first Grand Slam and have so many people who I got to talk to and FaceTime and I got to talk to my mom and it's been really, really nice. There was definitely some times when I didn't know if I was going to ever be able to get back into a Grand Slam final, and I really wanted another opportunity to try to play on my terms and walk away with my head held high.
And to be able to do that is just incredible.
Her husband and coach, Biorn Frantangelo.
He's kind of a big softie. I don't think he always shows that.
I'm one of the.
Few people that actually gets to see it, but he's just, you know, the sweetest, best guy. I've always wanted to win every single tournament I've ever been in a draw, so I think that's going to continue to be the goal. And I think now it's just sky's limit and we just keep working towards the next title.
As has become tradition in recent years, a Lucky Hot Shots tennis participant had the opportunity to interview the champion. Ten year old Kiara from Barrack Tennis Club sat down with the new Queen of Melbourne.
My name is Kiara and today I'm going to interview Madison Keys. I know that your birthday is like in the next month. Is this like your early birthday present?
I wasn't planning on it being my early birthday present, but this is a pretty good one to give to myself.
What is your favorite thing mostly about tennis?
I think my favorite thing about tennis is you get to learn so much about yourself. It's constant changing and you it kind of forces you to also change and adapt, and I think it makes you try to be kind of the best version of yourself that you can be.
What are you most excited about for today?
I think actually getting to kind of spend time with my team because I haven't gotten to see a whole lot of them the last few hours, and just really get to kind of enjoy everything that's happened the last three weeks.
What did you take your long.
I think I said, oh my god, I did it, and I've been a bunch of heart emojis.
I think that's what I sent her, very logically.
Thank you, You're welcome.
Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend have claimed the Australian Open Women's doubles championship in a three set roller coaster. The top seeds and defending Wimbledon champs overcame last year's finalist Che Suwe and Elena Ostapenko in two and a half hours.
Siney Arkiva and Townsend got the jump to snatch the opening set and had the chance to serve for the match at five to four in the second, but some gritty defense from Che and Ostapenko kept them minute before they clinched the second set tiebreak at a set of piece. Sine Arkiva and Townsend found a crucial break in the eighth game of the decider before going on to victory six two sixt' seven six three.
I am excited. It was really tough match and I'm just really happy that we managed to did it, that we kept fighting and that I can have the trophy on once more time. Yeah, so I'm really excited. I'm enjoying the feeling and I just want to stick with it.
Sine Akiva has made history with her tenth Grand Slam title in the women's doubles, the first player to reach double figures since Martina Hingis won her tenth at the twenty fifteen Wimbledon Championships. Well, it's a second Grand Slam title for Townsend.
I look at it as part a part of history where you know, it's nobody in our generation that is as decorated or that has accomplished the things that this woman has, and so to be able to be on the same side as hers, it's an honor and I'll be happy to continue to rack up those slams.
Yeah exactly.
You know, she's in double digits. You know I'm a work to get there. But you know, in the meantime, I'm really happy to be able to share the court with her and shared these moments. It means a lot.
The Australian Open Finals are a feast for the senses, and not just the spectacular exploits of the two players left at the final dance. There's an array of pre match entertainment that sets the stage for the main event. On women's final night, the crowd was treated to a performance by ruvac Nuena and the cast of Tina the Musical, and the cast of Beauty and the Beast performed be our Guest before the men's final. But who are the fans most like to open on Rod Laver Arena during
finals weekend? Harper Pesninger went to find out. Now if you could pick one musical artists to perform at the Australian Open Final. Who you haven't on stage?
Chris Martin, no doubt, best ever do it?
Chris Martin solo or Chris Martin with cold for the band.
Is pretty good as well, so we'll take cold Play as a whole.
I'd probably say Bruno Mars. I want to Dynasam live and hit me, hit suit, the vibe reckon.
Oh definitely Billie Eilish.
I went to a concert last year and she performed at URLAS.
So you know she knows the venue. I feel like somebody that would really get the crowd going and somebody that Australians I think club would be Pink.
I think yes, yeah, Chili Peppers. Yeah, can't stop when that drops. Yeah, everybody's along for the ride. So I think that's probably the best walkout entrance song you could. You could lead out too, So Chili Peppers for mine.
Queen, that would be big.
That would be huge queen as well.
So Harry Styles would be gray as well.
Yeah seeing him down then like down Under again, that'd.
Be good about Harry Styles front.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, that would make my year.
Would be John Mayer and I've seen him at rod labor before, so Ao, if you could get him down somehow, that would be amazing.
Well, I saw Choice Savanne Margaret Court a couple of years ago, so I'd say him, I'll have to go.
He's big at the moment. Dom Dollard would be good, Matt, do you know who that is?
I've gotten as you can see the age difference.
Now, I have no idea that did they sing?
Well, that's all for Day fifteen and for Australian Open twenty twenty five. Hope you've enjoyed our coverage of the main draw and the entire Australian summer. It's all possible thanks to the creative talents and the hard work of our team Segment producer Alexia Mitchell, Voxpot producer Harperpestinger, Audio editor Ed Denton, video editor Andrew Davies, Proofing and fact checking by Raharne Dekretsa, and our panelists and contributors throughout
the past fifteen days. Brie Stewart, Candy Reed, Chander, Ruben, Juel Crabus, John Fitzgerald, Laughlin, Wills, Levi Huttleston, Mark Lorotti, Mike Cashin, Peter Miccado, Ryan Harrison, Shannon Davis, Simon Ray and Ursin Cadis. Be sure to subscribe to never miss an episode, and please consider leaving a rating or review so more fans can discover the tennis. You can also catch the last of our daily spotlight segments on our
YouTube channel, Australian Open TV. Don't forget to subscribe there for more great content throughout the year, and I'll catch you again next time for more of the tennis