Australian Open: Zverev is now 0-3 in Grand Slam finals

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Alexander Zverev described himself as “pretty down” and “pretty emotional” after once again coming within one win of earning his first Grand Slam title.

And unlike his first two defeats in major finals – both of which he led and both of which went five sets – Zverev was nowhere near reaching the finish line on Sunday in the Australian Open final, which ended with the defending champion Jannik Sinner holds the trophy after his 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory.

“I’m doing everything I can. I’m working as hard as I ever have. I think I’m doing all the right things off the court. I think I’m practicing the right things. But I lost in straight sets today. I mean that’s a fact. I lost to Jannik in straight sets today,” said Zverev, who is ranked No. 2 but didn’t work anywhere near #1 Anger on this occasion.

“I mean, I don’t want to end my career as the greatest player ever to never win a Grand Slam, that’s for sure,” said Zverev, whose the post-match speech was interrupted of someone in Rod Laver Arena calling out the names of two women who have accused him of physical abuse in the past.

“I will keep doing everything I can,” Zverev said, “to lift one of those trophies.”

He is the seventh man in the Open era, dating back to 1968, to start a career with an 0-3 record in title matches at one of the sport’s four major events.

Five of the other six won at least one major championship. The only member of the group that hasn’t is Casper Ruud, who is also the only one still active.

Sinner offered support to Zverev during the trophy ceremony on Sunday. It came in the form of an arm around the shoulder – and with his words.

“Keep believing in yourself,” Sinner told Zverev. “Keep working hard because we all believe you can lift one of these very, very soon.”

Simone Vagnozzi, one of Sinner’s coaches, said of Zverev: “I really hope, sooner or later, he wins a Slam, because he deserves it.”

Zverev’s previous trips to the brink of achieving what he very much wants came on 2020 US Openwhere he built a two-set lead and even held a match point against Dominic Thiem before faltering and at 2024 French Openwhere he led Carlos Alcaraz two sets to one before letting it slip away.

This one never reached that kind of stage, and Zverev often showed his frustration by breaking rackets

The closest Zverev came to really making it close was when he was two points from taking the second set. But Sinner took the next four points and that was basically it.

“That was a huge point. I think whoever wins that set can kind of get a little bit of momentum. Being down two sets to love, especially, then his confidence goes up, mine goes down. It’s way back then against someone like Jannik,” Zverev said. “If it’s all one set, I might have a chance. But…I didn’t stop fighting. I didn’t stop believing. Then, in the third set, I thought he outplayed me more than in the other sets.”

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