Jannik Sinner has successfully commenced his Australian Open title defence with an opening-round win over Nicolas Jarry.
Sinner has been backed to win the Australian Open, with the ATP number one having lifted the trophy this time last year.
The Italian beat Daniil Medvedev for his first Grand Slam title, and followed that success with a US Open triumph over Taylor Fritz.
But Sinner was under plenty of pressure to get off to winning ways at the 2025 Australian Open, having been handed a tough opener against ATP number 36 Jarry.
He has also been under fire in recent times after twice testing positive for banned substance clostebol last year, with his case to be heard in mid-April.
Jannik Sinner happy with Australian Open crowd after Nick Kyrgios crticism
The world number one was cleared of any wrongdoing by an independent tribunal, but the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed that decision.
Australian star Nick Kyrgios has been among the most vocal critics of Sinner throughout the entire ordeal, with the Italian having discussed his thoughts on the situation in his post-match press conference.
Asked if he was nervous about his crowd reception given the appeal and the comments from Kyrgios, Sinner replied: “Yeah, I was curious to see how it was.
“You never know what’s happening. I was happy about the crowd. It was a very nice crowd. There were some for my opponent and some for me. It was a nice atmosphere.
“I was just looking forward to go on court. This is why I practice for, no? I’m trying to compete in the best possible way.”
Jannik Sinner enjoys pressure as Australian Open title defence begins
Sinner shocked the tennis world in January 2024 with his Australian Open success, where he came from two sets down to beat Medvedev in a thrilling final.
A more straightforward win was secured against home favourite Fritz in New York, but now his focus switches back to Melbourne.
It certainly wasn’t an easy ride against Jarry, but Sinner eventually battled to a 7-6(2), 7-6(5), 6-1 success.
He now boasts a 16-match winning streak that dates back to October, with the Italian also on a 15-match hard-court major winning run.
| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Win | 2024 | Australian Open | Hard | Daniil Medvedev | 3–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–3 |
| Win | 2024 | US Open | Hard | Taylor Fritz | 6–3, 6–4, 7–5 |
Asked how his pre-match nerves differed to the first round in 2024, he responded: “Yeah, it’s slightly different. But as I always say, every match is tough to win here.
“It’s nice to be back here. It’s a very special place for me. So many things happened on the court but also off the court, beautiful things.
“So yeah, it’s a nice place to play some tennis. It was a bit different, different kind of pressure. I enjoyed it.”
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