For the second time in his career, Jannik Sinner of Innichen, Italy is a grand slam singles tennis champion. Eight months after beating Daniil Medvedev of Russia 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 to win the 2024 Australian Open, Sinner, the number one seed, won the 2024 United States Open by beating the 12th seed, Taylor Fritz of the United States in the final, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.
A major reason for Sinner’s win was the fact he saw Fritz’s serve extremely well. Sinner had 12 break point opportunities, of which he broke Fritz six times.
This is the fifth time ever that the United States Open men’s and women’s singles champion also won the Australian Open in the same year. Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus beat Jessica Pegula of the United States in the 2024 United States Open women’s final, 7-5, 7-5. Sabalenka meanwhile beat Qinwen Zheng of China, 6-3, 6-2 in the final of the 2024 Australian Open.
The first time a men’s player and women’s player won the Australian Open and United States Open in the same year was 1962. In an all-Aussie Australian Open men’s final, Rod Laver of Rockhampton beat Roy Emerson of Blackbutt 8-6, 0-6, 6-4, 6-4. Then in the 1962 United States Open men’s final, Laver beat Emerson again 6-2, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4. Laver won the grand slam that year. In the 1962 Australian Open women’s final, Margaret Smith Court of Perth won an all-Aussie encounter as she beat Jan Lehane of Grenfell, 6-0, 6-2. Then in the 1962 United States Open women’s final, Smith Court beat American Darlene Hard of Los Angeles 9-7, 6-4.
It next happened in 1969 with Laver and Smith Court once again accomplishing the feat. Just like 1962, Laver won the grand slam. In the Australian Open final, he beat Andres Gimeno of Spain 6-3, 6-4, 7-5. Then in the United States Open, Laver beat Tony Roche of Turramurra in an all-Aussie final, 7-9, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. Smith Court beat American Billie Jean King in the 1969 Australian Open women’s singles final, 6-4, 6-1. Smith Court then beat American Nancy Richey of San Angelo, Texas in the 1969 United States Open women’s singles final 6-2, 6-2.
Smith Court and Australian John Newcombe accomplished the feat in 1973. In the 1973 Australian Open women’s singles final, Smith Court beat Australian Evonne Goolagong of Griffith, 6-4, 7-5. Then in the 1973 United States Open women’s singles final, Court beat Goolagong again, 7-6, 5-7, 6-2. In the 1973 Australian Open men’s singles final, Newcombe of Sydney beat New Zealand’s Onny Parun 6-3, 6-7, 7-5, 6-1. Then in the 1973 United States Open men’s singles final, Newcombe beat Jan Kodes of the Czechoslovakia, 6-4, 1-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
The last time there was a men’s and women’s Australian Open and United States Open champion in the same year was 1988. Germany’s Steffi Graf won the golden slam (all four majors and the Olympic gold medal). Graf won the 1988 Australian Open by beating Chris Evert of the United States 6-1, 7-6. She then won the 1988 United States Open by beating Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. On the men’s side, Mats Wilander of Sweden beat Australian Pat Cash of Melbourne, 6-3, 6-7, 3-6, 6-1, 8-6 to win the Australian Open, and then Ivan Lendl of Czechoslovakia in the United States Open final, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
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