CAPTAIN AGASSI GUIDES TEAM WORLD TO LAVER CUP GLORY

Andre Agassi has long had a flair for the dramatic.

Born amidst Las Vegas neon, bred amidst the oft-suffocating dorm-room tennis academy life, he emerged in the late ‘80s like some acid-washed fever dream, an image-is-everything, camera-ready superstar; all forehand, flash and mullet.

Or so we thought.

With Fab Four cohorts Pete Sampras, Jim Courier and Michael Chang, he helped bring in a whole new fandom, the sport’s MTV-endorsed answer to the fast-fading Tennis Boom years, jean shorts subbed for Stan Smiths and all-tennis-whites. There he was, falling to his knees on the lawns of the All England Club, the 1992 Wimbledon champion; in Flushing Meadows in ‘95, the first unseeded US Open titlist in the Open Era; in Melbourne, in his AO debut toppling Sampras in the title match. Their storied baseliner vs. serve-and-volleyer contrast would produce an otherworldly rivalry.

But it was in the tail-end of his playing career that we were first introduced to the Andre Agassi we know today, the deep-think sage with the uncanny ability to see the game from unthought-of angles. A new generation of players got their first taste of that this week as Agassi, now 55 and without all that hair, stepped back into the tennis fold as a first-time Laver Cup captain, taking over from John McEnroe as a courtside mentor for Team World.

Team World Captain Andre Agassi takes a moment to absorb his debut Laver Cup victory

Agassi himself said he didn’t know what to expect in his new role, that the whole thing would be an in-real-time, on-the-job learning experience. He went into it, he insisted, with a closed-mouth/open-ears approach, and his players were quick to respond.

“Andre is such a legend of the game. You always hear so much about him,” said the towering power-server Reilly Opelka, 6-foot-11. “The consensus is that he’s just this incredibly nice human being and incredibly intelligent. He gives back to the game and is happy to spread knowledge.”

McEnroe, beloved by his players, waited five years to get his first Laver Cup title, a trophy named for his boyhood idol, the two-time calendar-year Grand Slam champ Rod Laver. Here comes Agassi, who slides in a takes it all in his first go-round. On Sunday night at the Chase Center in San Francisco, in the eighth edition of the global showdown, Team World put the finishing touches on a dramatic 15-9 triumph over Yannick Noah’s Team Europe, securing its third Laver Cup in four years.

“Everybody played a part in making this one of the most memorable weeks I’ve ever spent on a tennis court.” — Team World captain Andre Agassi

It came down to the final match. Of course it did. That Agassi flair for the dramatic again. Appropriately, it was a Californian who played the role of hero. Taylor Fritz, who a night earlier had taken down Carlos Alcaraz in his first-ever win over a world No. 1, took down No. 3 Alexander Zverev in thrilling fashion, 6-3, 7-6(4). It was sweet redemption for the 27-year-old, who was on the other end of things last year in Berlin against Alcaraz.

“Seeing these guys on the bench getting pumped up, seeing a legend of the sport like Andre jumping out of his seat cheering for me, it’s just impossible not to be so fired up giving everything I have every point,” said Fritz. “It was a great feeling to clinch it in the end.”

There was a red-shirted mob scene afterward, Agassi and onetime rival Patrick Rafter, now his vice-captain, in the bum-rush with their delirious charges, most of whom weren’t yet born when they were making their names on the tour. There was Fritz and Argentine Francisco Cerundolo and the 19-year-old Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca. There was the rock-solid Aussie Alex de Minaur, team alternate Jenson Brooksby and valuable last-minute additions Opelka and Alex Michelsen, all of whom had stepped up in a big way.

“Everybody played a part in making this one of the most memorable weeks I’ve ever spent on a tennis court,” said Agassi during a celebratory post-match presser. “Just unflappable. They never stopped believing. They laid their heart on the line. On paper, a lot of people said they didn’t see an inroad to pulling this off, but we shocked the world.”

De Minaur then stepped in: “No, we shocked Team Europe.”

“That’s a good point,” said Agassi. “It’s the champagne.”

- Richard Osborn

JANNIK SINNER BEATS ALEXANDER ZVEREV IN 3 SETS

Jannik Sinner of Italy gestures as he carries the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup after defeating Alexander Zverev of Germany in the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

MELBOURNE, Australia — There’s all sorts of ways beyond merely the score to measure just how dominant Jannik Sinner was while outplaying and frustrating Alexander Zverev during the 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory Sunday that earned the 23-year-old Italian a second consecutive Australian Open championship.

The zero break points Sinner faced. Or the 10 he accumulated. The 27-13 advantage in points that lasted at least nine strokes. Or the way Sinner accumulated more winners, 32 to 25, and fewer unforced errors, 27 to 45. The way Sinner won 10 of 13 points that ended with him at the net. Or the way he only let Zverev go 14 of 27 in that category, frequently zipping passing shots out of reach.

And here is one more bit of evidence: Listen to what Zverev told Sinner during the on-court trophy ceremony: “You’re the best player in the world, by far. I was hoping that I could be more of a competitor today, but you’re just too good. It’s as simple as that.”

That’s coming from the guy who is ranked No. 2 behind Sinner, who has held the No. 1 spot since last June and is not showing any signs of relinquishing it. This was the first Australian Open final between the men at No. 1 and No. 2 since 2019, when No. 1 Novak Djokovic defeated No. 2 Rafael Nadal — also in straight sets.

“It’s amazing,” Sinner said, “to achieve these things.”

That includes being the youngest man to leave Melbourne Park with the trophy two years in a row since Jim Courier in 1992-93 and the first man since Nadal at the French Open in 2005 and 2006 to follow up his first Grand Slam title by repeating as the champion at the same tournament a year later.

Since the start of 2024, Sinner has won three of the five major tournaments, including the U.S. Open in September, and his record in that span is 80-6 with a total of nine tournament titles. His current unbeaten run covers 21 matches.

The only thing that’s clouded the past 12 months for Sinner, it seems, is a doping case in which he was cleared by a ruling that was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency. He tested positive for a trace amount of an anabolic steroid twice last March but blamed it on an accidental exposure involving two members of his team who have since been fired. Sinner initially was exonerated in August; a hearing in the WADA appeal is scheduled for April.

While Sinner became the eighth man in the Open era (which began in 1968) to start his career 3-0 in Grand Slam finals, Zverev is the seventh to be 0-3, adding this loss to those at the 2020 U.S. Open and the 2024 French Open.

Those earlier setbacks both came in five sets. This contest was not that close. Not at all.

“We’re trying to do all the right work,” Zverev said. “I’m just not good enough.”

Just before Zverev began speaking into a microphone during the trophy ceremony, a voice cried out from the stands, making reference to two of the player’s ex-girlfriends who accused him of physical abuse.

During the match, there truly was only one moment that felt as if it contained a hint of tension. It came when Zverev was two points from owning the second set, leading it 5-4 and at love-30 on Sinner’s serve. But a break point — and a set point — never arrived.

Zverev dropped the next four points, making it 5-all, and Sinner emerged with the ensuing tiebreaker. No surprise there: He went 4-0 in those set-deciders over the past two weeks and has grabbed 16 of his past 18.

A year ago, Sinner went through a lot more trouble to earn his first Slam, needing to get past Novak Djokovic — who quit one set into his semifinal against Zverev on Friday because of a torn hamstring — first, before erasing a two-set deficit in the final against 2021 U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev.

This time, the 6-foot-3 (1.91-meter) Sinner applied pressure with an all-around style that does not really appear to have any holes as his sneakers squeak from a sprint to a slide that often nearly ends in the splits and he uses his long limbs to deliver deep groundstrokes.

On this night, he proved superior in just about every meaningful way, other than aces.

Returning serves from Zverev that reached 138 mph (223 kph), Sinner got the lone break of the opening set with a passing shot for a 5-4 lead. Zverev walked back behind the baseline, shaking his head while talking to his father and brother, who were seated in the front row of their courtside coaches’ box.

There was more negative body language after Sinner served out that set at love to continue his crescendo, the final note an ace at 120 mph (194 kph). Zverev trudged to his bench, shoulders sagging, and dropped his racket on an equipment bag, a gesture that conveyed annoyance more than anger. Later, it became the latter: Zverev cracked one racket on the court and used a racket to hit another on the sideline.

Understandable, given what Sinner was doing on the other side of the net.

- Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press

NOVAK DJOKOVIC REFUSES POST - MATCH INTERVIEW AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN AFTER ACCUSING HOST BROADCASTER OF 'MOCKING SERBIAN FANS'

Novak Djokovic reacts after beating Jiri Lehecka (Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/AP)

Novak Djokovic set up a blockbuster Australian Open quarter-final against Carlos Alcaraz but refused to do a post-match interview because of a row with the host broadcaster.

Djokovic has been riled by some of the fan behaviour at Melbourne Park and he was booed after declining to answer questions from former champion Jim Courier on court in the customary manner following his 6-3 6-4 7-6 (4) win over Jiri Lehecka, instead briefly thanking supporters for coming.

But the 10-time champion revealed in his post-match press conference that his ire was not directed at the crowd but at broadcaster Channel 9 following an incident ahead of his third-round match when presenter Tony Jones mocked a group of chanting Djokovic fans behind him by singing, “Novak is overrated, Novak’s a has-been, Novak kick him out”.

“A couple of days ago the famous sports journalist who works for the official broadcaster, Channel 9 here in Australia, made a mockery of Serbian fans and also made insulting and offensive comments towards me,” said Djokovic.

“And, since then, he chose not to issue any public apology. Neither did Channel 9. So, since they’re official broadcasters, I chose not to give interviews for Channel 9.

“I have nothing against Jim Courier or neither the Australian public. It was a very awkward situation for me to face on the court today. It’s unfortunate. I chose to say something to the crowd, but obviously wasn’t the time and space or situation for me to explain what I’m doing right now.

“I leave it to Channel 9 to handle this the way they think they see fit.”

It was an unexpected denouement to what had been a positive match for Djokovic, who looked sharp against in-form 24th seed Lehecka.

Now he and coach Andy Murray must prepare for by some distance the biggest match of the tournament so far against third seed Alcaraz on Tuesday.

Djokovic insisted the dispute does not add extra motivation, saying: “I’m very determined already. (I am) not using this to fuel my fire more.”

He added that he was willing to accept a fine for his stance, saying: “I feel like this is something that needs to be done.”

It will be an eighth meeting overall and fourth at a grand slam between the Serbian and Spaniard, with Djokovic having triumphed in the semi-finals at the French Open in 2023, while Alcaraz has won the last two Wimbledon finals.

Their last meeting came at Roland Garros in the Olympic final last summer, when Djokovic claimed an emotional first gold medal.

Novak Djokovic gestures to the crowd (Mark Baker/AP)

His fall in ranking to seventh means this is the earliest stage at a slam they will have done battle, and there is a huge amount on the line for both men.

Djokovic is bidding to win a record-breaking 25th slam title while Alcaraz can become the youngest man ever to complete the career Grand Slam.

Alcaraz only had to play two sets on Sunday because of the retirement through injury of Jack Draper.

The third seed, who has dropped only one set so far, said of the match-up with a smile: “This is not the right player to play in a quarter-final, I guess.

“I think in a grand slam, from quarter-finals to the final, those players are the best in the world. If it wasn’t Djokovic in the quarter-final, it could be another player who is in the top of the ranking.

“But, facing Novak, for me it’s not going to change anything if I’m playing him in a quarter-final or semi-final. Probably change a little bit if it is a final, obviously.

“Being in a quarter-final, I’m going to approach the match the same as I did in the previous matches against him, and let’s see. I know my weapons. I know that I’m able to play good tennis against him, I’m able to beat him.”

The final stages are shaping up to pit the leading players against each other, with second seed Alexander Zverev also making it through.

The German recovered from losing the second set to defeat France’s Ugo Humbert 6-1 2-6 6-3 6-2 and will next face 12th seed Tommy Paul, who beat a physically hampered Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-1 6-1 6-1.