ULTIMATE FAN RECOGNITION: JANNIK SINNER VOTED FAVORITE, CEMENTING TENNIS STARDOM
Jannik Sinner has been voted the ATP Fans' Favourite singles player for the third consecutive year, placing him alongside his idol, Roger Federer, in the record books.
Jannik Sinner's amazing 2025 season keeps getting better. This time, it's not a trophy, but something players value just as much: recognition from the fans.
The four-time Major champ has been voted the ATP Fans' Favourite singles player for the third year in a row. He's only the second player to get this honour three times, putting him next to his idol, Roger Federer.
Federer owned this category from 2003 to 2021, winning it 19 years straight before Rafael Nadal took over in 2022. After Nadal, Sinner is the only winner, getting the ultimate praise from the fans.
Jannik had a wild ride in 2024 and grabbed the ATP number one spot after winning eight ATP titles. He missed three months of 2025 but still snagged six trophies, with an awesome run after the US Open.
Even though he ended up second in the ATP rankings behind Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner still had a bunch of wins and kept moving toward tennis greatness.
The 24-year-old played in 12 tournaments in 2025 and made it to ten finals, showing he can play at a high level consistently. He won six titles but lost the other four to Alcaraz.
Jannik defended his Australian Open title in January and came back strong in May. He played for the title in Rome, Paris, London, Cincinnati, and New York, losing to Carlos four times but becoming the first Italian to win Wimbledon.
Sinner got even better after losing in the US Open final. He finished the season strong, winning four of the last five tournaments, keeping his amazing indoor streak going, and getting ready for 2026.
He ended the season with another great ATP Finals run, winning the title without dropping a set and making history. With this latest win, Jannik now has five ATP awards.
In 2019, he was named Newcomer of the Year. Four years later, Sinner grabbed two awards: Most Improved Player and his first Fans’ Favourite award.
He did it again in 2024 and added another one this season, joining Federer on the short list of multiple-time winners.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC LANDS IN ATHENS AFTER HISTORIC AUSTRALIAN OPEN RUNNER-UP FINISH
After a historic loss to Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic returns to his family in Athens to reset for the 2026 tennis season.
After losing his first Australian Open final to Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic just wanted to see his family.
Djokovic landed in Athens on Tuesday, wrapping up two weeks away from home and marking his 38th appearance in a major final.
For the first time ever, Novak walked away from Rod Laver Arena with the runner-up trophy. At 36, he became the oldest finalist in Australian Open history, but Alcaraz stopped him in four sets: 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. The match lasted just over three hours.
This was Djokovic's first tournament in more than two months, and even so, he showed why people call him a legend. He cruised through the first three rounds and reached the last 16 without much fuss.
In the fourth round, Jakub Mensik had to pull out with an abdominal injury, so Novak got a walkover and saved some energy for the big matches ahead. But things nearly fell apart a few days later. Lorenzo Musetti took the first two sets in their quarterfinal, and for a moment, Djokovic looked like he might be headed home early. Then, out of nowhere, Musetti retired in the third set, and suddenly Novak was through to his 13th Australian Open semi-final.
Next up was Jannik Sinner, the two-time defending champ. Djokovic had to dig deep. Twice he came back from a set down and eventually won 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 after more than four hours on court. He fought off 16 out of 18 break points and weathered over 70 winners from Sinner, proving that belief really does go a long way. At 36, he marched into his 38th major final.
Djokovic left everything on court against Alcaraz. He started strong, but the Spaniard found his rhythm and took control in the second and third sets, racking up five breaks. In the fourth, Novak saved six break points early on and kept pace, even earning a break chance at 4-all. Then he missed a forehand he’d usually make, and just like that, his shot at a fifth set slipped away.
Alcaraz broke late in the set and sealed the win, handing Djokovic his first-ever loss in an Australian Open final. Now, Novak’s taking some time off to be with his family. He’s expected back on court soon, probably in Doha, but right now, only he knows how his schedule will look.
WHO IS SAMUEL LOPEZ? MEET THE COACH BEHIND CARLOS ALCARAZ’S 2026 AUSTRALIAN OPEN GLORY
Discover the touching moment Carlos Alcaraz saw coach Samuel Lopez receive a trophy after his Australian Open victory.
Carlos Alcaraz just pulled off something huge—he beat Novak Djokovic in four sets (2:6, 6:2, 6:3, 7:5) to win the Australian Open. With this win, he joins the legends of the Open era, becoming one of the rare players to snag at least one title at all four Grand Slams.
Here’s the wild part: Alcaraz is just 22. Actually, he turns 23 on May 5, so he’s still got plenty of time. This marks his seventh Grand Slam title already. For a bit of perspective, Djokovic had only one Grand Slam trophy at Alcaraz’s age.
Since he’d never won the Australian Open before, Alcaraz didn’t really know the drill for the trophy ceremony. His coach, Samuel Lopez, got a trophy too, which caught Carlos off guard—in a good way. Their partnership has clearly paid off.
Talking to the media, Alcaraz said he loved that coaches get recognised with their own trophy. He hadn’t seen that before and thought it was a fantastic idea, since a champion’s journey isn’t a solo effort. Watching Samuel Lopez get his moment meant a lot to him. “It’s wonderful, and when I saw him there, I was so happy because I know Samuel has been working toward this moment his whole life. For me, he’s one of the best coaches—if not the best—you can have on a tennis court today. For me, it was a magical and incredibly special moment: hugging him after the last point and also seeing him there, with everyone recognising what he deserves,” Alcaraz said.
Not everyone was convinced after Alcaraz split with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero and started working with Lopez. Some experts doubted whether he could keep dominating the tour this year. But after Melbourne, it looks like Alcaraz isn’t going anywhere. Even without Ferrero, he’s still leading the pack.
With three more Grand Slams coming up this season, it’s shaping up to be a wild ride. You get the feeling that we’ll be watching Alcaraz and Sinner battling for the biggest prizes all year long.