In his first match of the 2025 season, Jannik Sinner faced a tough challenge as he began the defence of his Australian Open title on Monday.
Up against World No. 36 Nicolás Jarry, Sinner had to battle through two tightly contested sets before ultimately securing a 7-6(2), 7-6(5), 6-1 victory in Rod Laver Arena.
“I think today was a very close one because the first sets, they can go both ways,” said Sinner, currently ranked No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. “In the third set, when I broke him the first time, that gave me a little bit of room to breathe. He is an incredible player, huge potential, so I’m happy how I handled the very tough situation in the first couple of sets and happy to be in the next round.”
Returning to the venue of his maiden Grand Slam triumph, Sinner extended his winning streak to 16 matches, a run that began in October. Remarkably, 14 of those victories have come in straight sets. His dominance on hard courts continued, with the Italian now boasting a 15-match winning streak at hard-court majors, following his triumphs at the Australian Open and US Open in 2024.
“The crowd and the fans, they give me so much support and it’s very nice to be back here,” Sinner added. “Obviously, I also like the hard courts here. But let’s see, every year is different, every day is different… We’ll try to improve obviously. I have a couple of things that I can surely do better, but first official match of the year for me, so I’m very happy.”
Match overview
Jarry, backed by a vocal contingent of Chilean fans, made life difficult for Sinner in the opening two sets. He earned the match’s first two break points and often dictated play. However, Sinner’s composure in crucial moments proved decisive. The Italian excelled in both tie-breaks, particularly in the first, where he showcased his trademark consistency and precision.
The turning point came early in the third set when Sinner secured the first break of the match to lead 2-0. From there, he surged to victory, setting up a second-round clash with Australian wild card Tristan Schoolkate, who overcame Taro Daniel in a hard-fought four-set match.
Sinner’s performance was bolstered by his dominant serving stats. According to Infosys ATP Stats, he won 83% of points on his first serve and 70% on his second, while weathering 40 winners from Jarry. This was their third Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting, with Sinner having also defeated the Chilean in Beijing last October after dropping the first set.
