Jannik Sinner is safely into the second round of the Australian Open after Hugo Gaston retired early during their match.
Sinner was leading Gaston 6-2, 6-1 in the first round of the Australian Open when the Frenchman confirmed he couldn’t continue.
Their meeting at Rod Laver Arena lasted just 67 minutes, with Gaston left emotional following his early retirement.
ATP number two Sinner is the second seed at the hard-court Grand Slam, which he won in both 2024 and 2025.
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Jannik Sinner happy with his performance in Australian Open first-round win
Sinner was on hand afterwards to discuss the brief battle in Melbourne, saying on court: “I saw that he was not serving with a very high pace, especially in the second set. It’s not the way you want to win the match, but he’s such a talented player.
“He has incredible touch, moving, very, very well, so I knew starting from the beginning, I knew I had to play very high level tennis, trying to be as aggressive as possible, which I’ve done, so I’m very happy.
“I’m very happy to be back here, it’s a very special place for me, thanks for coming, the atmosphere as always, is amazing.”
And rating his performance, the Italian noted: “Honestly, I felt very well prepared. We worked a lot physically, also on the court too.
“I had one great match with Felix [Auger-Aliassime], even if it was an exhibition, but we went full. But as you said, the official matches are always very, very different.
“So I’m very happy with how I started off today, of course, a bit of tension, but now it’s time to enjoy. All the hard work is done, we practice for moments like this.”
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Jannik Sinner reveals his off-season routine before the Australian Open
It was the first ATP match of the new season for Sinner, who had not played since winning the ATP Finals title in November.
The four-time Grand Slam champion is now well and truly back after a nine-week break, which unsurprisingly involved plenty of hard work.
Sharing insight into his off-season training, he revealed: “It’s fascinating, because every player has their own routine, his own style of practice.
“Our days are very long, starting around 9.30/10am, first session would be till around 1pm, a lot of gym, on court, we most likely do a couple of hours. Also some three hour sessions, to prepare for longer matches in Grand Slams.
“The second part of the day will be a lot more in the gym, which I like a little bit less, but you have to do it. Then treatment, recovery… not every day. They give me some days off.”
And looking back on his holiday after the 2025 season ended, he said: “It was a great time, especially spending time with my family, my friends, and my loved ones.
“These moments are what I really enjoy because we are around so many people, all the time, which is great, but it’s also heavy at times so I like to go somewhere very, very quiet, which is my hometown. It’s great, and of course, I’m even more happy to be back here.”
It’s been a very positive day at the Australian Open in more ways than one, with top players having just been eliminated.
Sinner could have been drawn to face Joao Fonseca, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Gael Monfils in future rounds, but all three have exited the tournament.
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