Steffi Graf & Mats Wilander find worthy successors 36 years later as Jannik Sinner & Aryna Sabalenka win Australian Open-US Open double
Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka became Grand Slam champions for the second time in 2024 after emerging victorious at the US Open. They became the first tennis duo since Steffi Graf and Mats Wilander to win both the Australian Open and the US Open in the same year.
Jannik Sinner, the top seed, defeated 12th seed Taylor Fritz in the final of the men's singles at the 2024 US Open on September 8. Sinner came out all guns blazing to stop Fritz in his tracks. The Italian converted six break point opportunities on the American's serve and committed just 21 unforced errors to win his maiden US Open title, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.
A day earlier, Aryna Sabalenka also lifted her first title in New York. As the second seed, she also dashed American hopes after bettering sixth seed Jessica Pegula in the women's singles final. The Belarusian was made to work hard by the American and ultimately triumphed in close straight sets, 7-5, 7-5.
The US Open was the second Grand Slam title in 2024 that both Sinner and Sabalenka won after their conquest at the Australian Open at the start of the year. Sinner bagged his maiden Grand Slam title in Melbourne after defeating Daniil Medvedev in a five-set thriller, and Sabalenka defended her title with a thumping victory over Zheng Qinwen.
This means Sinner and Sabalenka have become the first pair in 36 years to take home both hard-court Grand Slam singles titles in the same year. Steffi Graf and Mats Wilander were the last duo to achieve the feat in 1988.
Graf emerged victorious at the Australian Open and the US Open for the first time in 1988 by defeating Chris Evert and Gabriela Sabatini, respectively. Meanwhile, Wilander bettered Pat Cash to win his third and final Australian Open in 1988 and picked up his only US Open the same year by defeating Ivan Lendl.
Jannik Sinner dropped only two sets en route to US Open title, Aryna Sabalenka dropped only one
Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka came to the 2024 US Open after winning the 1000-level title at the Cincinnati Open and continued their excellent form at Flushing Meadows. Sinner dropped only two sets before claiming the year's last Grand Slam. Meanwhile, Sabalenka lost only one set to claim her title.
Jannik Sinner came back from a set down to defeat Mackenzie McDonald in the first round and went on to beat Alex Michelsen, Christopher O'Connell, and Tommy Paul to reach the quarterfinals. The ATP World No. 1 lost his second set at the US Open against Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals but ultimately prevailed. He then registered victories over Jack Draper and Taylor Fritz to win his second Grand Slam title.
Aryna Sabalenka faced little trouble dispatching Priscilla Hon and Lucia Bronzetti in her opening contests in New York but needed three sets to better Ekaterina Alexandrova in the third round. The Belarusian did not drop another set while defeating Elise Mertens, Zheng Qinwen, Emma Navarro, and Jessica Pegula.