Sinner’s Streamlined Serve Sparking Fast Finishes

By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Photo credit: Daniel Kopatsch/Getty

Jannik Sinner is creating a slower start and delivering faster finishes.

Two-time Australian Open champion launched his title defense winning 12 of 15 games in a 6-2, 6-1, retired win over Frenchman Hugo Gaston on Rod Laver Arena.

Gaston took a tumble to the court earlier in the match and at one point buried his face in his towel as if shedding tears.

It was Sinner’s 17th straight Tour-level win, including his 11th consecutive straight-sets win at Tour level.

A streaking Sinner said he’s making a deliberate effort to slow his service rhythm at the start of the motion and then accelerate through the strike point.

So far, so good.

“We changed a little bit the motion, the rhythm of the serve,” Sinner told the media in Melbourne after scoring his 15th consecutive AO win. “Before it was a bit too fast in the beginning. Now
it’s a bit slower. And the toss usually was a bit more in front a bit on the right. Now it’s a bit more back and over the head.

“At times I still lose it. It’s not a shot where I feel very safe with. But in the same time we are working on that. Yeah, it is one of if not the most important shots we have because it can give you so many great things. Yeah, so let’s see how I’m going to serve this season.”

Bidding to join Novak Djokovic as the second man in the Open Era to win three straight AO championships, Sinner served 64 percent and won 25 of 29 first-serve points cruising through a 68-minute win.

Next up for Sinner is a second-round clash vs. Australian wild card James Duckworth.

“I was very happy. We put in a lot of work to be back on court,” Sinner said of his opener. “It felt great. Obviously not the way you want to win the match. I wish him a speedy recovery and hope it’s nothing too bad.

“But yeah, from my side I’m very happy to be back on court.”