"I wasn't surprised by Aryna Sabalenka, but Jannik Sinner, I didn't think it would come so soon" - Bianca Andreescu on Australian Open 2024 champions
Bianca Andreescu has shared her insights on the 2024 Australian Open, discussing her thoughts on the champions, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka.
Sabalenka defended her title at the Melbourne Slam with an impressive campaign. She advanced to the final without dropping a set, with wins over the likes of Amanda Anisimova, Barbora Krejcikova and Coco Gauff. The Belarusian claimed a commanding 6-3, 6-2 win over Zheng Qinwen in the final to clinch her second Grand Slam title.
Sinner had a similarly dominant run at the Major, not losing a set until his semifinal with Novak Djokovic. He then pulled off an incredible win in the final, overcoming a two-set deficit to beat Daniil Medvedev 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 to secure his maiden Grand Slam title.
Bianca Andreescu, meanwhile, was forced to miss the Australian Open due to a back injury, which also cut short her 2023 season. The 23-year-old recently made an appearance at the NHL All-Star game, where she opened up about her experience of watching the Melbourne Slam from home.
The Canadian acknowledged the challenge of watching other players compete while she was sidelined but expressed enjoyment in reconnecting with tennis by following the Major.
"It's not fun watching other players play and you can't play that specific tournament, but it was nice watching the Australian Open. It was nice to get back into the groove of things," she told TSN.
Andreescu shared that she wasn't surprised by Aryna Sabalenka defending her title at the Australian Open.
However, she admitted to being taken aback by Jannik Sinner's triumph, clarifying that while he's an amazing player, she didn't expect him to win his maiden Major title this early in his career.
"A lot of the matches were crazy. On the girls side, I wasn't surprised by Sabalenka, but on the guys side, Sinner, I mean, he's amazing, but I didn't think it would come so soon. He's had amazing results, (and) I'm definitely happy for him," she added.
Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka's Australian Open SF clashes earn record-breaking viewership on broadcasting channel
Jannik Sinner's impressive 6-1, 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-3 win over Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the Australian Open not only marked the Serb's only last-four defeat at the Major, but also garnered the highest viewership for a men's semifinal since 2014.
ESPN reported a substantial 79% increase in viewership for the riveting clash compared to last year's most-watched semifinal. Additionally, the match attracted 29% more viewers than the most-watched last-four encounter in 2022.
Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka's 7-6(2), 6-4 win over Coco Gauff became the most-viewed women's semifinal since 2021. The match recorded a 15% rise in viewership compared to last year and a 22% increase from the most-watched semifinal in 2022.