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THREE-PEAT GLORY: HOW DID JANNIK SINNER SECURE THE 2025 FANS’ FAVOURITE CHOICE

Jannik Sinner makes history as only the second player to three-peat the Fans’ Favourite award. Can the Italians rule the 2026 tour?

Three-Peat Glory: How Did Jannik Sinner Secure the 2025 Fans’ Favourite Choice
Can Anyone Topple Jannik Sinner’s Global Popularity

Jannik Sinner, currently ranked number 2 worldwide, has been voted Fans’ Favourite singles player in the ATP Awards for the third year running.

Sinner started 2025 strong, defending his Australian Open title by defeating Alexander Zverev in the final this January. Later, the Italian star won against his friend and rival, Carlos Alcaraz, in the Wimbledon final, grabbing his first title at the All England Club. The tennis star, who has claimed 24 Tour titles, also secured the Masters 1000 title in Paris, his second Nitto ATP Finals title in Turin, and two ATP 500 titles in Beijing and Vienna. He won his second ATP Finals title in Turin without dropping a set in front of his fans.

Sinner is now only the second player, after Ivan Lendl (1982, 1985, and 1986), to win two Nitto ATP Finals without losing a set in 2024 and 2025. Sinner is also the third player to win multiple ATP Finals titles on home soil after claiming this trophy in Turin in 2024. The first two players to do this were John McEnroe (three times in New York in 1978, 1983, and 1984) and Boris Becker (twice in Frankfurt in 1992 and 1995).

This year, Sinner had a record of 58 wins to just 6 losses, reaching the final in 10 out of the 12 tournaments he played. The only two exceptions were Halle and Shanghai.

Sinner was named Newcomer of the Year in 2019 and both Most Improved Player of the Year and Fans’ Favourite in 2023.

In a message to his fans, Sinner said, “Thank you so much for voting for me. Winning the Fans’ Favourite award again means so much to me, especially because of you. This year has been very intense, but you give me so much energy and love, especially when I play in front of you. It’s the best feeling for us, tennis players. Thank you so much. I’ll get ready to be at my best for next year, and I’ll see you all very soon.”

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.

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Novak Djokovic loses first-ever Australian Open final to unstoppable Carlos Alcaraz

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.

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Samuel Lopez is the perfect strategic fit for Alcaraz

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.

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