Jannik Sinner dominated Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 in the Australian Open final on Sunday, securing his 2nd straight Melbourne and 3rd Grand Slam titles -- all on hard courts.
The 23-year-old Italian has now won 37 of 38 hardcourt matches, including his US Open victory 4 months ago.
Born on August 16, 2001, in San Candido, Italy, Sinner's early passions were skiing and football. At age 7, he took a year off from tennis to focus on skiing.
An AC Milan fan, Sinner returned to tennis after his father pushed him back into the sport. Roger Federer was his idol, inspiring his tennis journey.
Though dominant on hard courts, Sinner is working at mastering clay and grass.
Having reached the French Open and Wimbledon semis, he says, 'You have to be a complete player, not just on one surface.'
Sinner's Grand Slam win came amid a doping case from 2 failed tests last year with a court of arbitration for sport hearing scheduled for April.
'On court, I focus entirely on the match. It's my moment to perform.'
Reflecting on back-to-back Australian Open victories, Sinner noted, 'The first win felt like relief -- it proved I could do it. This second one, I've enjoyed more because of the challenges I overcame.'
As the 1st man since Rafael Nadal in 2006 to defend a maiden Grand Slam, Sinner's relentless work ethic sets him apart.
Zverev compared Sinner to Djokovic, saying, 'It's incredibly difficult to win a point against him from the baseline. Like Novak, he moves well, stays close to the baseline, and gives you no time or space.'