Sinner won the stats but lost the match? Zhang Shuai and doubles partner clinch the title, Wang Meili and Yuan Yue compete again

Three minutes daily to catch up on all tennis news worldwide. Hello tennis fans, today is Saturday, January 31, 2026. Welcome to the midday news report brought to you by "Tennis Home".

Last night Beijing time, the 2026 Australian Open men's singles semi-finals concluded. Top seed and world number one Alcaraz overcame a sudden injury and battled for 5 hours and 27 minutes, breaking German Zverev's serve in the final game to win narrowly 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-7(4), 7-5. He reached his first Australian Open final, achieving the feat of making the final in all four Grand Slams, and will now aim for a career Grand Slam after reaching four consecutive major finals.

In the night session, ten-time Australian Open champion Djokovic came back from two deficits (0-1 and 1-2 in sets) to defeat two-time defending champion, Italy’s Sinner, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. This ended Djokovic’s five-match losing streak against Sinner and marked his 11th Australian Open final appearance and 38th Grand Slam final overall. At 38 years and 255 days old, Djokovic became the oldest player to reach the Australian Open final in the Open Era.

After the match, fans were surprised to see that Sinner led Djokovic in nearly all statistical categories, yet he still lost the match. Let’s take a look:

Aces: Sinner 26 — Djokovic 12

First serve percentage: Sinner 75% — Djokovic 70%

First serve win rate: Sinner 80% — Djokovic 71%

Second serve win rate: Sinner 52% — Djokovic 51%

Winners: Sinner 72 — Djokovic 46

Unforced errors: Sinner 42 — Djokovic 42

Break point conversion: Sinner 2/18 — Djokovic 3/8

Total points won: Sinner 152 — Djokovic 140

From these stats, we see that Djokovic faced 18 break points but miraculously saved 16 of them, only getting broken twice. Meanwhile, Sinner had 8 break points but was broken three times. Comparing the two, the difference is clear. Although Sinner served more aces, hit more winners, and scored 12 more points overall, he still lost the match.

Some fans pointed out that Sinner’s loss despite better stats was mainly because he underestimated Djokovic’s strong will to win, mental toughness, and unexpected fighting spirit. Throughout the match, Sinner was mostly on the defensive, with Djokovic controlling the offensive play. Djokovic initiated sharp angle shots and won long baseline rallies, while Sinner played cautiously, especially missing key opportunities during multiple break points. In the fourth and final sets, Sinner had several 40-0 break chances but failed to convert any, and under pressure, lost his own service games. These missed chances ultimately ended his 19-match winning streak at the Australian Open and denied him a third consecutive final appearance.

After the match, Sinner admitted Djokovic played exceptionally well and that he made many mistakes, calling it a valuable lesson. With Sinner eliminated, Alcaraz and Djokovic will meet for the first time in an Australian Open final. This will be their third Grand Slam final encounter, with Alcaraz winning the previous two Wimbledon finals. If Alcaraz wins, he will complete a career Grand Slam, surpass fellow Spaniard Nadal to become the youngest player in history to achieve this. If Djokovic wins, he will claim his long-sought 25th Grand Slam title. The ultimate showdown is scheduled for 4:30 PM Beijing time tomorrow — fans won’t want to miss it!

Now, turning to today’s matches. In the women’s doubles final held this morning Beijing time, the Chinese-Belgian pair Zhang Shuai/Mertens performed brilliantly to defeat the 7th seeds Danilina/Krunic 7-6(4), 6-4, claiming the championship trophy. This marks Zhang Shuai’s first Australian Open women’s doubles title in seven years and her third Grand Slam doubles crown overall. For Mertens, it is her third Australian Open and sixth Grand Slam doubles title. Congratulations to them!

At 4:30 PM Beijing time today, the Australian Open women’s singles final will kick off on the main court. Two-time champion and top seed Sabalenka will face fifth seed and Kazakh star Rybakina for the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.

Additionally, the WTA250 Cluj-Napoca tournament announced its main draw this morning. Chinese players Wang Xinyu and Yuan Yue will compete, with Wang facing a qualifier in the first round and Yuan matched against Croatian Rudić.

Finally, a guessing game. Below is a photo of a player during a match. Without hints, can you identify who she is?

Last time’s guess was correct by some fans. Yes, the player in the photo is the Canadian beauty Bouchard.

(Source: Tennis Home Author: Independent Thinker)