عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Tennis Needs the Next Generation, Says Grand Slam Champion Sinner 

Jannik Sinner of Italy poses with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup at a photo shoot the morning after defeating Daniil Medvedev of Russia in the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. (AP)
Jannik Sinner of Italy poses with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup at a photo shoot the morning after defeating Daniil Medvedev of Russia in the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. (AP)
TT
20
TT

Tennis Needs the Next Generation, Says Grand Slam Champion Sinner 

Jannik Sinner of Italy poses with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup at a photo shoot the morning after defeating Daniil Medvedev of Russia in the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. (AP)
Jannik Sinner of Italy poses with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup at a photo shoot the morning after defeating Daniil Medvedev of Russia in the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. (AP)

Jannik Sinner was not about to announce the end of the "Big Three" after his breakthrough Grand Slam triumph at the Australian Open, but the 22-year-old Italian does believe tennis needs a fresh generation of champions.

His five-set victory over Daniil Medvedev on Sunday made him the first Melbourne Park winner in 10 years not named Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal or Roger Federer - the trio of multiple champions who have dominated tennis for two decades.

Djokovic's incredible success into his mid-thirties has delayed the decline of the "Big Three" but with Federer now retired and Nadal looking set to join him this year, a huge gap is opening up at the top of the game.

With his Melbourne triumph, Sinner has joined 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in the Grand Slam winners' club, spearheading a clutch of players of a similar age coming through.

"It's quite unpredictable what's coming in the future but still it's nice to be part of this generation," Sinner said as he was photographed with his trophy in Melbourne's Botanical Gardens on Monday.

"I think the next generation is something that this sport needs and it's also a little bit of a game-changer."

Sinner was the youngest Australian Open men's champion since Djokovic won the first of his 10 Melbourne Park titles in 2008 and even though he beat the 24-times Grand Slam champion in the semi-finals, the Italian was not inviting comparisons.

"He is a different league," he said. "I'm just happy I have this trophy for this year and then we see what's coming. There is still a lot of work to do but I will enjoy my process and then we see what I can achieve in the future."

As impressive as the clean hitting that has taken Sinner into the elite of men's tennis was his cool demeanor on court on Sunday as he withstood an early barrage from Medvedev before rallying from two sets down to clinch the title.

Although he fell to the Rod Laver Arena court after converting championship point, there was no huge outpouring of emotions as Sinner celebrated the biggest victory of his career.

"There were so many emotions in my head and the hard work and the sacrifices I've done throughout my career," he explained.

"Sharing this moment with my team was maybe the best feeling I've had until now.

"It's great emotions, I was just happy, yesterday I still maybe couldn't believe and now I'm starting to realize it, so it's a great feeling."

Sinner said he celebrated his dream start to the new season in understated fashion - a meal with his close-knit team in the early hours of Monday morning - but said it would be straight back to work as he looked to build on his breakthrough.

"Obviously winning the tournament is something unbelievable," he said. "I'm really happy how I performed here and let's see what's coming in the future."

Most Viewed

 
Sports

Alysa Liu Delivers the US Its First Women’s Figure Skating World Championship in Nearly 2 Decades

Figure Skating - ISU World Championships - TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, US - March 28, 2025 Gold medallist Alysa Liu of the US celebrates with her medal after winning the Women’s Figure Skating World Championships. (Reuters)
Figure Skating - ISU World Championships - TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, US - March 28, 2025 Gold medallist Alysa Liu of the US celebrates with her medal after winning the Women’s Figure Skating World Championships. (Reuters)
TT
20
TT

Alysa Liu Delivers the US Its First Women’s Figure Skating World Championship in Nearly 2 Decades

Figure Skating - ISU World Championships - TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, US - March 28, 2025 Gold medallist Alysa Liu of the US celebrates with her medal after winning the Women’s Figure Skating World Championships. (Reuters)
Figure Skating - ISU World Championships - TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, US - March 28, 2025 Gold medallist Alysa Liu of the US celebrates with her medal after winning the Women’s Figure Skating World Championships. (Reuters)

Alysa Liu skated around the ice in disbelief, her golden dress shimmering in the lights of TD Garden, and the appreciative roar from a sellout crowd reminded her why she had returned to the sport following a nearly two-year retirement.

When her score was finally read, the 19-year-old from Clovis, California, had made history.

Liu became the first American women’s figure skating world champion in nearly two decades, dethroning three-time defending champ Kaori Sakamoto with a brilliant free skate Friday night. Her program to a rendition of "MacArthur Park" by Boston native Donna Summer earned her a standing ovation, and allowed Liu to finish with 222.97 points.

"I mean, it means so much to me and everything I've been through," Liu said. "My last skating experience, my time away and this time around — I'm so happy, I guess. I'm mostly glad I could put out two of my best performances."

Liu's coaches, Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali, pulled her into a hug in the kiss-and-cry area of the arena. Moments later, Sakamoto came over from where she had watched in the leader's chair and squeezed her tightly, as if Japan’s hero was passing Liu the torch as the first world champion from the US since Kimmie Meissner stood atop the podium in 2006.

Sakamoto finished with 217.98 points to add a silver medal to her three previous golds. Her Japanese teammate, Mone Chiba, was third with 215.24 points while Isabeau Levito and Amber Glenn gave the Americans three of the top five.

"We are all so strong," Levito said, "and we are all such fighters, and we all have our strengths, and are so different but we’re all so sweet with each other. I’m just so glad these are my fellow Team USA skaters."

Liu was once considered the sport's rising star, the youngest-ever US champ when she triumphed at the age of 13 in 2019, and then defended her title the following year. She fulfilled a childhood ambition by qualifying for the Olympics, finishing sixth at the 2022 Beijing Games, and earned a bronze medal at the world championships that year.

Then she stepped away. Liu decided that skating had become less of joy and more of a job, and she wanted to focus on being a normal college student. It wasn't until she went on a ski trip and felt the rush of competition — albeit in a much different way, and with far lower stakes — that she began to think about a comeback.

Early last year, she made it official with a cryptic posting on social media. And while the path back in a notoriously fickle sport was bumpy, to be sure, Liu took a big step forward with her second-place finish to Glenn at the US championships.

She took the last step up on the podium Friday night.

"Not every yesterday, I didn't expect this. I didn't have expectations coming in," Liu said. "I never have expectations coming into competitions anymore. It's more so, ‘What can I put out performance-wise?’ I really met my expectations on my part."

She left Sakamoto, the erstwhile champion, with feelings of awe and admiration.

"She went away and now she's back, and the world champion," Sakamoto said. "I wouldn't say she's changed. Her cheerfulness and kindness and the way she's always happy brought her to the top step of the podium."

Earlier in the night, American ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates built a big cushion as they chase their third consecutive title, scoring a season-best 90.18 points for their rhythm dance to lead Canadian rivals Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier.

Gilles and Poirier scored 86.44 points to their dance, set to music from The Beach Boys. They held the lead only long enough for the US duo to finish their "tour of the decades" program, which earned them a raucous ovation inside TD Garden.

The International Skating Union chose the theme this season of social dances and styles of the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s. But while some skaters picked one — the Watusi, the Madison or disco — Chock and Bates threw it all into their rollicking showcase.

"It was probably the most fun I've had thus far on competitive ice in a performance, maybe ever," Chock said. "It was really a joy to perform in front of a home crowd and share that excitement with Evan. It was the best."

Now, Chock and Bates will try to finish off the first three-peat since Russia's Oksana Grishuk and Evgeni Platov in the 1990s.

"That’s a tough amount of points to catch up on," Poirier admitted, "but we also know that sport is really unpredictable."