Carlos Alcaraz will have the chance to defend his Wimbledon title after coming from behind to beat Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals on Friday.

The 21-year-old endured another shaky start, but in the end, was too good for the Russian as he won 6-7 (1-7) 6-3 6-4 6-4 in just under three hours on Centre Court.

Both players got multiple breaks in the first set as momentum ebbed and flowed, though Medvedev looked to be running away with it as he raced into a 5-2 lead.

Alcaraz rallied to force a tie-break, though the Russian took advantage of another slip in concentration as he dropped only one point.

The defending champion, who made a slow start to his quarter-final as well, soon hit his stride and, with the help of an early break, easily held out to win the second.

It was much the same story in the third set as Alcaraz caused more problems with his aggressive serve, not allowing Medvedev back in after edging in front.

The world number five showed some of his early fight in the final set, trading breaks with Alcaraz, but after unsuccessfully defending a break point, he could not maintain his momentum, leaving an opening for the Spaniard to get the win.

He will face either seven-time champion Novak Djokovic or Lorenzo Musetti for the title on Sunday.

Data Debrief: Back-to-back finals for Alcaraz

Despite not playing at his best for the majority of Wimbledon, Alcaraz once again showed what he was made of.

He is into his fourth final in 14 grand slam main draws, and should he win on Sunday, he could become the youngest player in the Open era to win the men's singles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in a calendar year.

Since the ATP rankings were first published in 1973, Alcaraz has become the youngest player to achieve top-five wins on grass, clay and hard court in consecutive seasons (2023 and 2024).

Indeed, he is just the third player under 22 to win his first five matches of the season against top five opponents, after Bjorn Borg (1977-78) and Rafael Nadal (2006-07). 

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz made the Wimbledon semi-finals by beating Tommy Paul in four sets on Centre Court.

Paul produced a spirited display and the momentum was with him when he impressively took the opener, only for Alcaraz to fight back for a 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-2 victory on No.1 Court.

At 21 years and 65 days old, the victory made Alcaraz – who beat Novak Djokovic in an epic final last year – the youngest player to reach the last four of the Wimbledon men's draw in successive editions since fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal in 2006 and 2007 (21 years, 33 days).

He was made to work for the win, though, with Paul taking a 73-minute opener that showcased some terrific rallies, hitting a wonderful passing shot on set point.

With the American starting the second set with a confident hold and an immediate break, Alcaraz was on the ropes.

However, he hit straight back and only dropped two more points on his own serve in the second, unforced errors creeping into Paul's game as Alcaraz levelled the contest.

The third set started with three straight breaks of serve, two of them going Alcaraz's way, and the momentum was with the three-time grand slam champion from there.

The world number three pummelled a forehand winner down the line on set point to go 2-1 up, and it was smooth sailing in the fourth as Paul finally wilted, only winning two points on Alcaraz's serve and giving up back-to-back breaks.

Alcaraz will face Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals after the Russian outlasted top seed Jannik Sinner to win a four-hour classic earlier on Tuesday.

Alcaraz hailed Paul's performance after his victory, saying of his opponent: "He has been playing great tennis on the grass, beating great players, and today was a really difficult match for me. 

"It was like playing on clay, with big rallies – 10 or 15 shots every point. I had to stay strong mentally, and I'm really happy I could find the solutions."

Data Debrief: Alcaraz in fine company

Alcaraz's victory means he now has 16 wins from his first 18 matches at Wimbledon, putting him in good company.

During the Open Era, only Rod Laver and Boris Becker (both 17) have recorded more victories through their first 18 outings at the grass-court slam.

Carlos Alcaraz is hopeful his win over France's Ugo Humbert can inspire Spain's football team ahead of facing Les Bleus in their Euro 2024 semi-final on Tuesday. 

Alcaraz edged closer to defending his Wimbledon crown with a 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-5 win over Humbert in a hard-fought triumph on Centre Court. 

The world number three's quarter-final match takes place on the same day as France's encounter with Spain in Munich, and may be unable to watch the action unfold.

But Alcaraz played his part in SW19, and his hoping La Roja, who have won all of their games at the tournament, will follow suit. 

"Hopefully they're going to get the same result as me today," Alcaraz said. 

"I won in the tennis part, so hopefully the Spanish team are going to win the football part."

Alcaraz was unable to watch the first half of Spain's clash with hosts Germany on Friday after edging Frances Tiafoe in a five-set thriller.

The three-time grand slam champion needed three hours and 51 minutes to dispatch the American, but was able to witness Mikel Merino's late winner in Stuttgart. 

With Tommy Paul up next in the quarter-finals, the Spaniard is hopeful of getting the job done quicker this time to be able to watch Luis de la Fuente's side. 

"The first thing is I am supporting Spain because it's Spain," he said. "I have a really good relationship with a few players of the team. In particular, with Alvaro Morata.

"He's a really good friend. So right now it's time to support them, as I know they supporting me when I'm playing matches or I'm playing tournaments. It's my turn.

"Hopefully on Tuesday we are not going to play at the same time. But let's see. Hopefully I will be able to see a little bit from the match."

Carlos Alcaraz is hopeful his win over France's Ugo Humbert can inspire Spain's football team ahead of facing Les Bleus in their Euro 2024 semi-final on Tuesday. 

Alcaraz edged closer to defending his Wimbledon crown with a 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-5 win over Humbert in a hard-fought triumph on Centre Court. 

The world number three's quarter-final match takes place on the same day as France's encounter with Spain in Munich, and may be unable to watch the action unfold.

But Alcaraz played his part in SW19, and his hoping La Roja, who have won all of their games at the tournament, will follow suit. 

"Hopefully they're going to get the same result as me today," Alcaraz said. 

"I won in the tennis part, so hopefully the Spanish team are going to win the football part."

Alcaraz was unable to watch the first half of Spain's clash with hosts Germany on Friday after edging Frances Tiafoe in a five-set thriller.

The three-time grand slam champion needed three hours and 51 minutes to dispatch the American, but was able to witness Mikel Merino's late winner in Stuttgart. 

With Tommy Paul up next in the quarter-finals, the Spaniard is hopeful of getting the job done quicker this time to be able to watch Luis de la Fuente's side. 

"The first thing is I am supporting Spain because it's Spain," he said. "I have a really good relationship with a few players of the team. In particular, with Alvaro Morata.

"He's a really good friend. So right now it's time to support them, as I know they supporting me when I'm playing matches or I'm playing tournaments. It's my turn.

"Hopefully on Tuesday we are not going to play at the same time. But let's see. Hopefully I will be able to see a little bit from the match."

Carlos Alcaraz continued his defence of the Wimbledon crown with a hard-fought win over Ugo Humbert in the last 16, picking out his "unbelievable" set point in the second set as the highlight. 

Alcaraz withstood a late push from Humbert to win 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-5 and book his place in the last eight, where he will play Tommy Paul or Roberto Bautista Agut. 

He was made to work for his two-set advantage on Centre Court, saving four break points in the fifth game of the second then breaking Humbert's resistance.

He showed remarkable athleticism on set point, recovering from a fall to sprint back to mid-court and tee up Humbert for a missed volley.

Alcaraz later found a second wind in the fourth set, smashing 17 winners to Humbert's 10 to get over the line.

Asked how he would describe his efforts on that earlier set point, Alcaraz said: "Unbelievable, I guess! I just try to fight for every ball.

"It doesn't matter which part of the court I am at, I just try to run to whichever part of the court I am on, giving myself the chance to stay alive in the point.

"Set point was a really important point for me so I had to show the opponent that whatever shot he hits, I will be there.

"That's me, I will be there, fighting until the last ball and sometimes it is a good point like this one and sometimes I lose it, but the main thing is just to fight."

Data Debrief: Alcaraz continues grand slam love story

Alcaraz's triumph saw him reach a ninth men's singles quarter-final from 14 grand slam draws entered - the most of any player who began their career in the Open Era through their first 14 participations. 

The Spaniard also maintained his winning streak at grand slams, having now won 11 matches in a row following his French Open triumph last month.

But there will be room for improvement for Alcaraz, who uncharacteristically served six double faults throughout the contest, compared to Hubert's one. 

Carlos Alcaraz survived a major scare as the defending champion won a five-set thriller against Frances Tiafoe to reach the last 16 at Wimbledon.

Tiafoe came into Friday's third-round match on Centre Court with low expectations due to what has been a difficult 2024 so far, but he won the first and third sets, before coming within a tie-break of causing a huge upset.

Alcaraz ultimately prevailed 5-7 6-2 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 in just under four hours to book a fourth-round meeting with either Brandon Nakashima or Ugo Humbert.

There were few signs of the drama that would follow when Alcaraz broke to take a first-set lead, but Tiafoe – who shocked Rafael Nadal at the US Open in 2022 – fought back with two breaks of his own to claim the opener and threaten another grand slam scalp.

A superb backhand winner clinched a comfortable second set for Alcaraz, but 29th seed Tiafoe produced an extremely impressive response, rallying the crowd when he confidently moved 2-1 in front having barely been troubled on serve in the third.

There were no break opportunities for either player in a keenly contested fourth set, but, with the pressure firmly on, Alcaraz produced a brilliant tie-break to send the contest into a decider, then taking his turn to celebrate with the fans.

The Spaniard made a crucial early breakthrough in game three and Tiafoe soon began to realise his opportunity had gone when Alcaraz consolidated his lead with a second break. He sealed the victory with a beautiful drop shot, with his relief and joy clear to see after getting over the line.

Data Debrief: Ten in a row for Carlos

Alcaraz is becoming a consistent grass-court performer and has now made the last 16 or better at Wimbledon for three consecutive tournaments, a run which includes his triumph last year.

The victory also means he has won 10 straight Wimbledon matches, with this surely being one of the toughest in that sequence. 

Having also achieved that feat at the US Open, he is the third-youngest player to do so at both of those majors, with only Bjorn Borg and Mats Wilander doing so at a younger age.

Despite a difficult afternoon on Centre Court, Alcaraz still racked up some impressive numbers, finishing with 16 aces and 55 winners.

Carlos Alcaraz breezed past Aleksandar Vukic in the second round after a nervy start to continue his Wimbledon title defence.

The Spaniard endured a tough opening but soon found his composure to win in straight sets 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 6-2.

Alcaraz had his serve broken twice late on in the first set but returned the favour in the final game to take Vukic to a tie-break, which he edged.

After that, it was smooth sailing for the world number three, as he only dropped a further four games, none of which he served, with his power leaving the Australian scrambling with no answer.

Into the third round for the third consecutive year, Alcaraz will face Frances Tiafoe next time out.

Data Debrief: Alcaraz races on

In 2020, Vukic defeated a then-17-year-old Alcaraz in Roland Garros qualifying, but he faced a much different test this time around on grass.

Alcaraz's victory on Wednesday stretches his winning run to nine matches at Wimbledon, showing his fine form as he aims to earn the title for the second year running.

The 21-year-old has also achieved his 75th career ATP match win against an opponent ranked outside the top 50, stretching his record to 13-1 in 2024.

Carlos Alcaraz has made a winning start to his Wimbledon title defence, defeating qualifier Mark Lajal in a competitive contest.

Opening the 2024 tournament on Centre Court, the Spaniard was broken early in each of the first two sets, but ultimately progressed 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 6-2.

Alcaraz was more dominant in the third set, not offering up a single break-point opportunity to Estonian qualifier Lajal, who can nonetheless reflect on a decent showing on the big stage.

French Open champion Alcaraz, looking to become the youngest player in the Open Era to win Roland-Garros and Wimbledon in the same year, will play Aleksandar Vukic or Sebastian Ofner in round two.

Elsewhere on Monday, eighth seed Casper Ruud and 10th seed Grigor Dimitrov both made comfortable starts to the tournament with straight-sets wins over Alex Bolt and Dusan Lajovic respectively.

Denis Shapovalov is also through, with the Canadian knocking out 19th seed Nicolas Jarry in a 6-1 7-5 6-4 triumph.

Frances Tiafoe almost joined Jarry as a seed to crash out on day one, but the American fought back from two sets down to defeat Matteo Arnaldi in five. That dramatic win saw him tee up a round-two clash with Borna Coric.

There was more American success when Brandon Nakashima earned a straight-sets victory over 18th seed Sebastian Baez. He won 6-2 6-3 6-4 and will face Australian Jordan Thompson next.

Data Debrief: Alcaraz up and running

Alcaraz did not have ideal preparation for Wimbledon after losing to Jack Draper in the last 16 at Queen's.

He will therefore be pleased to have got two hours and 23 minutes of competitive court time under his belt against Lajal without his progress ever really looking like it was in jeopardy.

Alcaraz fired 44 winners and lost just nine of the 56 points played on his first serve. He was also adept at the net, winning 26 of his 33 points to make it a smooth start.

He is now just the seventh player in the Open Era, and the first since compatriot Rafael Nadal, to win all of his first 14 first-round matches in grand slam tournaments.

Carlos Alcaraz will be the Centre Court star at Wimbledon when the Spaniard opens his title defence on Monday.

Alcaraz will be hoping to add to this year's French Open glory when he opens his All England Club campaign against world number 269 Mark Lajal.

The 21-year-old will play in the Centre Court opener as the grass-court major starts, with Alcaraz aiming to become the youngest player in the Open Era to win at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in a calendar year.

World number one Jannik Sinner meets Yannick Hanfmann in his first-round clash on the same day.

Sinner won his maiden grand slam title at the Australian Open in January, and heads to SW19 having won a further three Tour-level titles this year.

Daniil Medvedev reached the semi-final last year for his personal-best performance at Wimbledon before losing to Alcaraz, and the fifth seed faces American Aleksandar Kovacevic in his opener.

As for the women's draw, Emma Raducanu will follow Alcaraz onto Centre Court as one of the home favourites at Wimbledon.

Raducanu reached the last four at the Nottingham Open before claiming her first top-10 victory against Jessica Pegula at Eastbourne, with Ekaterina Alexandrova awaiting in the first round for the Briton.

Aryna Sabalenka has won the opening round in her last 15 grand slam appearances and the third seed will be seeking to extend that impressive record when she clashes with world number 107 Emina Bektas.

Coco Gauff will be another to keep an eye on when she wraps up Monday's Centre Court action with an all-American showdown against Caroline Dolehide.

Reigning US Open champion Gauff will be the youngest player to feature in the women's singles at Wimbledon seeded in the top two since Maria Sharapova in 2007.

Jannik Sinner is set to start Wimbledon with a slight advantage over defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the race to be crowned 2024 winner.

That is the view of former Wimbledon runner-up Mark Philippoussis, who says the two young stars deserve to be seen as clear frontrunners, particularly with doubts over Novak Djokovic's fitness. 

Sinner is the world number one and earned his first grand slam title at the Australian Open this year, while Alcaraz comes into the tournament on a high after claiming his third major at the French Open.

Alcaraz's grand slam titles have come on three different surfaces, but Philippoussis – who lost the 2003 final at Wimbledon to Roger Federer – feels Sinner, who will start his campaign against Yannick Hanfmann, still deserves to start as the marginal favourite.

With the Italian being top seed, following on from Alcaraz having that status last year, this is the first time players aged under 23 have held the top seed in consecutive editions of the men’s singles at Wimbledon since Lleyton Hewitt (2003) and Federer (2004). 

"In my eyes, Sinner is the favourite," Philippoussis said to Stats Perform at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic at the Hurlingham Club.

"I'm not going to say he is a clear favourite, but he definitely is the favourite. And then I'd say Alcaraz. 

"For me, there's a question mark around Djokovic. I'm very surprised to see him here. Apparently he's supposed to be playing a match [on Friday], which is a great idea for him. I think he is definitely going to get a gauge of where he is physically. 

"But Sinner and then Alcaraz, like I said, they are the favourites."

With eight-time Wimbledon champion Federer retired and Djokovic now 37 as the likes of Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray near the end of their careers, Philippoussis is relieved to see tennis in safe hands with Sinner and Alcaraz, whose rivalry looks likely to dominate the sport for the rest of the decade.

The Australian added: "You have got Alcaraz and Sinner and we are lucky to have them. 

"They are incredible for the game, not just because they are the champions they are at such a young age and what they bring to the table as far as their professionalism, but it is also the ambassadors they are for the sport. 

"I see the way they are around kids, around fans – they are incredible. They give their time. They make sure they wait around after practice no matter how tired they are. They literally sign as many as they can, if not everyone. 

"They are incredible ambassadors for the game. We were worried, especially with Federer and Nadal, Federer gone, Nadal almost there. Who's going to be taking over? 

"But I think we are in very, very good hands and they are amazing to have for the game and I'm excited. 

"Dominating is a tough thing, there are going to be other guys stepping up as well, but they are the ones who will be spearheading the game in years to come."

Alcaraz, who was drawn against Mark Lajal in round one, could become the youngest player in the Open Era to win at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in a calendar year, but there is always the prospect of a surprise at Wimbledon.

Asked for some of the threats to upset the leading players and go all the way at Wimbledon, Philippoussis named Grigor Dimitrov and Matteo Berrettini.

Dimitrov reached the last eight at the French Open this month – his first major quarter-final since 2021 – while Berrettini recently made the Stuttgart Open final, three years on from reaching the Wimbledon final, which he lost in four sets to Djokovic.

"Dark horses for me, I'm going to say Dimitrov," added Philippoussis, with the Bulgarian 10th seed set to take on Dusan Lajovic in the first round.

"He has been impressing me. He is hitting the ball as well as I have seen for a very long time. 

"His hands and his slice backhand, the way he chips the ball back and moves on the grass and his volleys, he is definitely someone that I wouldn't want to see in my part of the draw. 

"And I'm going to also say Berrettini. He lost just over a week ago in the last grass court tournament before Halle in the finals.

"He is healthy now and he has got a huge game. He lost in the finals at Wimbledon years ago and he is a dark horse as well."

Among players with 10 or more matches on grass since 2020, Berrettini (84.8%) is one of only three to hold a match win percentage above 80, with the other two being last year's finalists Djokovic (95.2%) and Alcaraz (85%).

Top seed Jannik Sinner will begin his Wimbledon campaign against Yannick Hanfmann, while defending champion Carlos Alcaraz will face Mark Lajal in the first round.

Seven-time winner Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, has been drawn to face qualifier Vit Kopriva in the first round, having appeared to confirm his participation at the year's third grand slam after recovering from knee surgery.

Djokovic initially said he would only play in SW19 if he felt he had a realistic chance of winning the title after withdrawing from the French Open, but on Thursday he gave reporters a thumbs up when asked if he would participate.

The Serbian is the second seed in the men's draw, putting him on the opposite side of the bracket to both Sinner and Alcaraz – who beat him in last year's final.

Two-time champion Andy Murray, meanwhile, will face Czech Tomas Machac first if he is fit to play after undergoing surgery on a back cyst last weekend.

The 37-year-old, who is expected to retire at the end of 2024, has said he will wait until the last minute before making a decision on his participation. 

The Scot could make his 16th appearance in the men's singles draw at SW19, surpassing Jeremy Bates for the outright most by any British player in the Open Era.

Murray is on the same side of the bracket as Djokovic, with fourth seed Alexander Zverev also a potential opponent for the Serbian down the line. The French Open runner-up faces Roberto Carballes Baena in his first match.

In the women's draw, world number one Iga Swiatek will begin her hunt for a first Wimbledon crown against American Sofia Kenin, with 2018 champion Angelique Kerber a potential third-round opponent for the Pole after she received a wild card.

Kerber is one of four former grand slam champions to receive a wild card into the women's draw, alongside Emma Raducanu, Naomi Osaka and Caroline Wozniacki.

Raducanu will start her campaign against 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova after missing last year's tournament through injury. Osaka will begin against France's Diane Parry while Wozniacki faces Alycia Parks.

Coco Gauff, seeded second, will take on Caroline Dolehide in an all-American first-round matchup, while world number three Aryna Sabalenka faces another American in Emina Bektas.

Jack Draper earned the biggest win of his career, upsetting defending Queen's Club champion Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets on Thursday.

He followed up his first ATP tour title in Stuttgart with a statement win, beating the French Open winner 7-6 (7-3) 6-3.

He did not lose a service game in a dominant display, though Alcaraz did not lose one in the opening set either, forcing a tie-break before his sloppiness allowed Draper to edge in front.

Despite Alcaraz bringing his usual threat, Draper got a vital break to make it 4-2 in the second set, rallying to see out a third victory against top-10 opposition.

Draper will play fifth seed Tommy Paul in the quarter-finals.

Data Debrief: Alcaraz sees streak snapped

Alcaraz had won eight consecutive matches coming into this meeting thanks to his victory at Roland Garros, but could not find a way past Draper.

The British number one impressed, especially in his serves, winning 76 per cent of his service points during the one hour 39 minute contest.

Carlos Alcaraz began his title defence at the Queen's Club Championships with a straight-sets victory over Francisco Cerundolo on Tuesday.

Playing his first match since winning the French Open earlier this month, Alcaraz recovered from a second-set slump to win 6-1 7-5.

The Spaniard started strongly in his first meeting with Cerundolo and breezed through the first set, committing just one unforced error.

He quickly found himself 2-5 down after a slow start to the second, but in an impressive turnaround, Alcaraz battled back, winning each of the next five games to ensure he would progress after 82 minutes.

He will meet either Jack Draper or Mariano Navone in the next round.

Data Debrief: Alcaraz makes winning return on grass

Alcaraz did not have it all his own way in London, but he ensured that he extended his winning run on grass to 13 matches.

He saved three set points on his way to levelling things at 5-5 in the second set, giving Cerundolo no way back in.

Carlos Alcaraz is not wanting to dwell on his French Open triumph as the Spaniard prepares for Wimbledon by featuring at the Queen's Club Championships this week.

The 21-year-old secured his third major title this month after overcoming Alexander Zverev in a five-set final thriller at Roland-Garros.

Alcaraz is the youngest player in the Open Era to win the singles title at three different grand slams, with the Australian Open the only one missing from the set.

The world number two has one thing on his mind, however, as Alcaraz turns his focus to the grass-court challenge awaiting at Queen's, and subsequently the next major Wimbledon.

"We have to be focused on the tournament that we are playing right now," Alcaraz said. "Roland-Garros was a fantastic two weeks for me, a dream come true lifting the trophy.

"But right now my mind has to be here on the grass to be ready. As soon as I can to play good tennis and to get ready for Wimbledon.

"Right now my focus is on the grass and then after that, my mind will be on clay again to be at my best for the Olympics."

Just a year ago, Alcaraz headed to Queen's with only four ATP wins on grass.

A year later, the big-hitting youngster is getting ready to defend his title in the Wimbledon warm-up tournament before attempting to go back-to-back at the next major.

"I have more matches in my bank on grass and now with the great run I had last year at Queen's and Wimbledon, I know a little bit on how to play and understand the game a little bit on grass," he added.

"I am more mature playing on this surface. The first practice I have done here, my movement wasn't as good as last year but it is a slow process, so I have to be really focused in every practice and every match."

Alcaraz took the fewest main draw appearances of any player in the Open Era to win titles on grass, clay and hard courts.

He celebrated that French Open glory with a tattoo of Paris' Eiffel Tower on his left ankle, before jetting off for further toasts to his success.

Asked on his plans after Paris, Alcaraz said: "I had a few days off. I went to Ibiza with a group of friends. I had fun. It was a great time celebrating Roland Garros and I just had fun.

"For me as a player, I need this kind of thing. Every player is different but for me to reach my best tennis I have to separate the professional part from the personal part.

"I have some days off to forget a little bit that I am a professional player. Being with my friends and family means I can rest a little bit."

Step aside Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, tennis has a new world number one on the block in Jannik Sinner.

The 22-year-old, born in San Candido, ended a 51-year wait for Italy to boast the ATP's best player in the world rankings after moving to top spot this month.

Sinner overtook Djokovic at the summit of the men's game after his French Open performance, reaching the Roland-Garros final before falling in a five-set thriller to the battling Alcaraz.

Having already secured his first major at the Australian Open earlier this year, Sinner's remarkable rise continued in Paris – but how has the Italian managed to do so?

Here, we unpack the best of the Opta data to delve into Sinner's surge to world number one.

Major champion in Australia

Sinner was crowned a grand slam champion for the first time in his career back in January, defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final after overcoming a two-set deficit in Melbourne.

Sweeping aside Djokovic in the last four and Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals, his route to glory was far from straightforward, too.

Aged 22 years and 165 days at the time of his Melbourne Park triumph, Sinner became the youngest-ever player to achieve successive ATP top-five wins in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of a major, surpassing Michael Stich – 22 years and 262 days at Wimbledon in 1991.

That Medvedev victory, at the time, also marked Sinner's fourth top-five scalp of 2024.

Since 1973, Sinner is the only fourth player aged under 23 to claim four such wins in the opening three months of a season, after Bjorn Borg (1978-79), Miloslav Mecir (1987) and Andy Murray (2007 and 2009).

Special 2023 sets tone for this year's success

Sinner enjoyed a remarkable campaign last year, winning his first Masters 1000 title at the Canadian Open and finishing the season by reaching the showpiece of the ATP Finals.

He finished with a win-loss record of 64-15 in 2023, breaking the Open Era record previously held by Corrado Barazzutti (55, 1978) for most ATP match wins by an Italian in a calendar year.

En route to the Indian Wells semi-final defeat to Alcaraz, Sinner also claimed a 19th consecutive ATP match win after overcoming Jiri Lehecka, breaking Adriano Panatta's record for the longest winning streak at ATP level of any Italian in the Open Era.

It is hard to argue with his position at the top, too.

Sinner became only the fifth player before turning 23 to defeat the men's world number three times in a calendar year, having overcome Alcaraz and Djokovic (twice) in a remarkable 2023 season.

The Italian also helped his country lift the Davis Cup, though major individual honours were always around the corner for the excellent right-hander.

The best in the world

Australian Open successes and a fine 2023 campaign brought Sinner to his crowning moment in June as he became the first Italian to reach world number one since the ATP rankings started in 1973.

Sinner is one of four players in the past two decades to hold the ATP's number-one ranking before the age of 23, along with Roger Federer, Nadal and Alcaraz.

Since 2000, Sinner is also just the third male player taller than 188 centimetres to reach the summit of tennis before turning 23, along with Andy Roddick and Marat Safin.