Sinner's big breakthrough opens gap between the chasing ATP pack
It was an Australian Open final that lived up to the billing with Sinner forced to rally from two sets down to overcome Daniil Medvedev in three hours and 46 minutes.
It was a deserving outcome for the 22-year-old, who also ended Novak Djokovic's 33-match winning run at the tournament en route to the Rod Laver Arena showpiece.
And in the Italian Sinner lifting his maiden major, a breakaway group has now formed at the top of the ATP rankings.
Big Four?
Sinner remains as the world number four behind Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Medvedev, but the quartet are all within good view of each other.
Just 1,545 points separate them as of Monday, January 29th, which is significantly smaller than the gap Sinner's triumph has created with those chasing.
Fifth-ranked Andrey Rublev is a ways behind Sinner - 3,260 points to be exact - and it seems to be a pretty fair reflection of how the sport has panned out of late.
The current top four have enjoyed the most success by winning nearly all the big tournaments since 2023 - Grand Slams, Masters and year-end Finals.
Only at the Monte Carlo and Shanghai Masters were there different winners last tear, with the mould being broken by Rublev and Hubert Hurkacz.
Can anyone close the gap?
Currently, it doesn't look like there will be anyone who will truly be able to force their way in and mix things up at the top.
The aforementioned Rublev and Hurkacz have shown they are capable of strong showings, but even this time they both fell short at the quarter-final stage in Melbourne.
But one to keep an eye on following a strong Australian Open is Alexander Zverev, who produced plenty of good tennis during his run to the semi-finals.
The 26-year-old German has come under plenty of scrutiny and questioning to do with his upcoming trial on domestic abuse allegations, but he seemed to put his off-court issues to the side.
Zverev's tournament was highlighted by a stellar win over Alcaraz in the semis, although he unravelled in the final four to arch-rival Medvedev despite being two sets up.
The likes of Holger Rune, Taylor Fritz and Stefanos Tsitsipas could all have an extra level to give in their own respective pursuits, but again it is a case of whether they are able to deliver when it matters.
