Sinner rallies to win Australian Open final over Medvedev, clinches 1st major

Jannik Sinner lined up a forehand, drilled it down the line and dropped to the court on his back, giving himself a few moments to process how he'd come back from two sets down to win his first Grand Slam title.

The 22-year-old Sinner found a way to turn defence into attack in his first major final and take the Australian Open title from Daniil Medvedev 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 on Sunday in Melbourne.

It was his third straight win over a top 5 player, including his quarterfinal win over No. 5 Andrey Rublev and his semifinal upset that ended No. 1 Novak Djokovic's long domination of the tournament. Only Djokovic and Roger Federer have done that in a major played on hard courts.

Sinner is the first Italian to win the Australian Open and the youngest winner in a men's final here since Djokovic won his first Grand Slam title in 2008.

With Carlos Alcaraz winning Wimbledon and Sinner winning the season-opening major, a generation shift is arriving.

"It's been a hell of a journey," the 22-year-old Sinner said, "even though I'm only 22."

"It's obviously a huge tournament for me. But I want to thank everyone for making this Slam so special."

A childhood dream realised in Melbourne