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And that's that. The Australian Open is over for another year.

Thanks for joining us for a brilliant fortnight in Melbourne. We hoped you enjoyed it all as much as we did.

Next stop? The French Open in Paris.

See you then...

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The emotions of tennis.

Pure joy...

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...and total despair.

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Here is more from Jannik Sinner, speaking to Eurosport shortly after walking off court, first on how his second Australian Open win feels compared to his first: "It's very different to be honest. Coming here as defending the title is always different. There is the extra pressure but I enjoy it. In finals the pressure is different. It is a tough day for Sascha [Alexander Zverev]. He was a bit down and I tried to keep him u, but it's tough.

"I'm very happy, my team, we know how much we worked for this one. I felt like I started the match really well, the second set could have gone both ways. Then in the third set I tried to search for the break. I served very well today and I'm happy.

"I do struggle sometimes inside. In tennis you have days you feel worse but every day can be different. Coming here without playing any tournaments before and not knowing exactly what was going to come, I just tried to stay very focused. In my mind I know I am well prepared for tough battles and I have shown this in these two weeks.

"[My parents] know how much it means to me to share this with my family. Where I'm from, in such a small village, to bring home this trophy is amazing."

More from Jannik Sinner: "To my team, what can I say. We worked a lot to be again in this position. It is an amazing feeling to share this moment with all of you. It is amazing to achieve these things and to share this with you guys. Darren [Cahill], it is probably, maybe your last Australian Open as a coach - I will try to convince you [to carry on] - and it is an honour to share this trophy with you. And Simone [Vagnozzi], you are an amazing combination of coaches. Thank you so much.

"To the tournament directors, thanks so much for making this happen. It is an incredible tournament, for me it is the most special Grand Slam and I am so happy to be here. The sponsors, the ball kids, the chair umpires, we all appreciate you so much.

"To the crowd, I felt all your love and see you again next year. Thank you."

Here are the words of Australian Open men's singles champion Jannik Sinner: "First of all I would like to start with Sascha [Alexander Zverev]. Again a tough day for you, your whole team, your family. You are an amazing player. Keep believing in yourself. We all know how strong you are as a player and person. Keep it up and keep working hard because we all believe you can win one of these soon. I wish you all the best."

Let's hear from our 2025 Australian Open champion...

Pat Cash
Former Wimbledon champion on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

Alexander Zverev is a very good player so it is frustrating, but I think we have to reflect on how far he has come since ripping his ankle to pieces. That is one heck of an effort.

He has got himself back to where he was, after missing a lot of tennis, and has got himself up to speed very well. He has been in two Grand Slam finals, so what is the next step?

Perhaps he needs to finish points off, volley better and work on his forehand. That forehand just broke down today, like it has on so many occasions, so there are more areas to work on.

The stats are very flattering for Jannik Sinner. The same can't be said for Alexander Zverev.

The German becomes the sixth man in the Open era to lose his first three Grand Slam finals, having also been beaten at the 2020 US Open and 2024 French Open.

He joins Andre Agassi, Goran Ivanisevic, Andy Murray, Dominic Thiem and Casper Ruud.

But the good news for Zverev is that all but one of those players (Ruud) have gone on to win a Slam.

Annabel Croft
Former British number one on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

I think Alexander Zverev made a very good speech.

It was interesting to see that, shortly after they had shaken hands, he was in tears. He was crying into the shoulder of Jannik Sinner and the champion went over and gave him a big hug. So they are obviously pretty close or there is an enormous amount of respect there.

It was a little bit sad to hear Zverev say: 'I'm just not good enough' but that is what it looked like tonight. There was a massive gulf of difference and I'm not quite sure what he can do to catch up with the likes of Jannik Sinner.

More from Alexander Zverev speaking on Rod Laver Arena: "I also want to thank Craig [Tiley]. In my opinion, you are still the best tournament director in the world. You guys have no idea how difficult us players are, so give him some credit. He is trying to make everyone as welcome as possible and to give back to the players as much as possible. I hope he gets appreciation from you guys, like he does from us players, because he is putting on the best tournament in the world. It's a big thanks to him for that.

"Last but not least, I want to thank the crowd. The crowd has been nothing but amazing to me over the past two weeks. You guys pushed me through to the final. I really did think I had a chance, but here I am.

"I don't know if I'll ever be able to lift the trophy but I will keep coming back and trying. I will see you guys next year."

Alexander Zverev speaking on court after missing out on his first Grand Slam title: "First of all, I mean it sucks standing here next to this trophy and not being able to touch it.

"Congratulations to Jannik, you more than deserve it. You are the best player in the world by far. I was hoping that I could be more of a competitor today but you are just too good, it's as simple as that.

"Congratulations to your team as well, you have done all the right things so there is nobody that deserves the trophy more.

"I want to thank my team. We are trying to do all of the right work, I'm just not good enough - it is as simple as that!

"I really appreciate what everybody has done for me over the last few years, from coming back from my ankle injury to getting to world number two and playing in Grand Slam finals. I really appreciate everything they have done. I wouldn't be here without them."

Right, let's hear from runner-up Alexander Zverev...

Jannik Sinner is flying the flag for Italian tennis. By defending his Australian Open title, he is the first Italian player in history to win three Grand Slam titles.

And....

He is the youngest man to defend his Australian Open crown since Jim Courier in 1992-93.

Some pretty impressive Jannik Sinner stats for your viewing...

Sinner has equalled the record for the most wins by a men's player in their first 50 matches as world number one since the ATP Rankings began in 1973.

The number? 47 - tying him with Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors. That's one more than Roger Federer achieved.

Sinner is also the fourth player in the last 35 years not to face a single break point in a Grand Slam final.

Only Pete Sampras (Wimbledon 1995), Federer (Wimbledon 2003) and Rafael Nadal (US Open 2017) have managed that since 1990. Esteemed company.

Not bad, eh?

"It's an an amazing feeling," Jannik Sinner says as he starts his champion speech.

We'll bring you the full quotes from both players very soon, but in the meantime let's have a look at the stats behind Sinner's AO run.

Now it's Jannik Sinner's time.

His coaches - including Darren Cahill, who is set to retire at the end of this season - are first up to collect their smaller trophy.

And then Sinner gets his turn. Lifting the rather heavy looking Norman Brookes Challenge Cup for the second year in a row.

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There's some jeers directed towards Alexander Zverev as he steps up to give his post-match speech.

The 2025 runner-up says "it really sucks" to stand so close to the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup and not be able to hold it.

Pat Cash
Former Wimbledon champion on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

Jannik Sinner is almost unbeatable on hard court, isn't he?

Didn't he lose just one match last year on hard court or something like that? His record is ridiculous.

He is so quick, he can move around the court with ease, he can hit big powerful shots.

It wasn't a great match for spectators but he did what he needed to do. I think Sinner's level was pulled down by Zverev's performance tonight.

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport in Melbourne

Lovely moment between the two finalists as they wait for the trophy celebration to begin.

Jannik Sinner stands in front of a distraught Alexander Zverev, holds him on both shoulders and looks him straight in the eyes.

"It'll be alright, son" is the gist of it.

They hug.

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