Stanislas Wawrinka gives a blunt response on Alexander Zverev’s third Grand Slam final loss at the Australian Open

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner defeated second seed Alexander Zverev in straight sets to defend his Australian Open title.

Stanislas Wawrinka gives a blunt response on Alexander Zverev’s third Grand Slam final loss at the Australian Open

Stan Wawrinka Alexander Zverev Jannik Sinner (via X)

The 195th episode of the Stephen Brun podcast featured Stan Wawrinka as a special guest, who joined the regular contributors to discuss various aspects of the tennis world. Wawrinka, who is known for his powerful backhand, is a three-time Grand Slam Champion.

During this episode, Wawrinka made notable comments about second seed Alexander Zverev. He reflected on his experiences and observations regarding the young German player.

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“How you get over it, I don’t know, I haven’t experienced it. I’ve experienced many other failures but I haven’t had the chance to be so strong so young. He’s been in the top 10 for 10 years and well above, he’s one of the greatest fighters in our sport, one of the hardest workers. That’s where he’s going to continue, quite simply”.

Stan Wawrinka on Alexander Zverev via Stephen Brunch podcast

The Stephen Brunch podcast features a live Sunday discussion program led by Stephen Brun. It features guests and regular contributors like Benoit Boutron and Pierre-Ambroise Bosse, focusing on the latest sports topics relevant to the weekend or upcoming week.

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Zverev recently played his third Grand Slam final at the Australian Open 2025, where he lost to defending champion Jannik Sinner in straight sets. Zverev played his first Grand Slam final at the 2020 US Open and his second Grand Slam final at the 2024 French Open.

Jannik Sinner battled health setbacks before the final against Alexander Zverev

Considering Alexander Zverev’s progression to the finals, the German was expected to be more energetic and well-prepared. Zverev played only one set against Novak Djokovic in the semifinals who retired due to a torn hamstring.

Alexander Zverev Jannik Sinner
Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner (via Instagram)

This made an easier path for Zverev to reach the finals as compared to Jannik Sinner who overcame health setbacks in prior rounds. Sinner faced dizziness during his fourth-round match against Holger Rune and experienced cramps in his semifinal match against Ben Shelton.

“Now, right after a final, it must be very, very difficult, of course, especially for his third, but over all these years we’ve seen him, he gets back up, he’s going to train extremely hard to try to improve. It’s his dream, his goal, and he’s going to do everything to try to achieve it.”

Stan Wawrinka on Alexander Zverev via Stephen Brunch podcast

Reflecting on the final match, Stan Wawrinka pointed out that Zverev struggled to find a rhythm against Sinner, who was effective in his play. Zverev, however, did show glimpses of his capabilities, particularly in the second set, where he had a 5-4 lead and was a few points from winning the set until Sinner fought back to take it to a tiebreak and ultimately won the set.

Wawrinka noted how Sinner managed to maintain control of the match, resulting in Zverev finishing runner-up again in a major final. World No. 1 Sinner won his third Grand Slam title, once again asserting his dominance on hard court.