The Australian Open, one of the four major tennis tournaments and also known as a “Grand Slam,” concluded this past week. On Saturday, America’s Madison Keys, ranked #19 and upset two-time defending Australian Open champion and world number one Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling three-set match to claim her first Grand Slam title. Both players being dominant servers, Keys immediately took advantage of Sabalenka’s shaky first few service games, where she committed four double faults, earning a 4–1 first-set lead that allowed her to take the first set 6–3 in 35 minutes. But Sabalenka came storming back, hitting several unpredictable drop shots that allowed her to take the second set comfortably, 6–2. The third and final set was much more back-and-forth than the previous sets, as both players fought desperately to hold serve. Eventually, up 6–5 on serve, Keys capitalized on her second championship point, hitting an angled winner for the victory.
On Sunday, number one ranked Jannik Sinner defeated number two ranked Alexander Zverev, 6–3, 7–6 (4), 6–3, with a near flawless performance to defend his title in Australia. Sinner comfortably held serve, giving Zverev zero break point opportunities, and capitalized on his own few opportunities to break Zverev’s serve. This victory marks Sinner’s third straight hard-court Grand Slam title.
Novak Djokovic, 24-time Grand Slam champion, got injured once again in the later rounds of a Grand Slam. He had to retire (forfeit) his semifinal match against Zverev after a grueling 81-minute first set due to a torn muscle in his left hamstring, an injury he sustained in an epic comeback victory over Carlos Alacaraz in the quarterfinals. Last May, Djokovic withdrew from the French Open in Paris before his quarterfinal match because of a torn meniscus in his knee. With these recurring injuries, some question whether Djokovic’s retirement is nearing. He even admitted that this past Australian Open may be his last. Unlike Nadal and Federer, who sustained numerous injuries towards the end of their careers, Djokovic has stayed healthy, winning four Grand Slams after turning 35 years old. Even at 37 years old, Djokovic’s talent is still world-class. However, constantly being hindered by injury at his age casts doubt on his future in tennis.
The most notable story hovering over the world of tennis for the past 10 months is Jannik Sinner’s controversial doping case. Last March, the Italian superstar failed two separate drug tests for clostebol, an anabolic steroid that is readily available in Italy but not elsewhere. Sinner stated that his fitness coach accidentally used a spray containing clostebol on a cut that Sinner had sustained. The substance was also used during massages. This sparked a multi-month investigation by the International Integrity Tennis Agency (ITIA), concluding that Sinner violated Article 2.1 and Article 2.2 of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP). Despite this violation, the ITIA did not suspend Sinner, only forcing him to forfeit his prize money and his earned ranking points at the Indian Wells tournament in March.
Many were shocked by this decision to let Sinner continue playing. However, just over a month after the ITIA decision, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced that it would appeal this decision, seeking a 1–2 year ineligibility punishment. The hearing will occur in April 2025, and Sinner, who is dominating tennis, will either be cleared or suspended.
It is important to note that women’s world number two, Iga Świątek, was suspended in December of 2024 for one month because of a failed drug test with very similar circumstances to Sinner. Similarly, Nicolas Jarry, Sinner’s first-round opponent in the Australian Open, served an 11-month suspension for unintentionally consuming illegal substances. Based on these two similar cases, Sinner may face suspension.
Sinner’s hearing in April will be critical. If he is only issued a one-month suspension, he can still participate in the remaining three Grand Slam tournaments of the calendar year. However, if he is suspended for over a year, he will miss out on a golden opportunity to win many Grand Slams in the prime years of his career against little competition.
