Jannik Sinner vs Alexander Zverev – Australian Open men’s final: Live score and set-by-set updates as Sinner looks to retain crown against World No 2

Ever wondered what happens to all the tennis balls used at the Australian Open after the tournament?

After nine games, each ball is replaced but it’s journey doesn’t end there.

Used tennis balls are donated to clubs and player programmes and Tennis Australia also sell some of the balls to help support the Australian Tennis Foundation.

An emotional Madison Keys delivered a touching speech after her Grand Slam victory on Saturday evening…

OK bare with me I’m absolutely going to cry. Firstly, Aryna unbelievable playing – I’m glad I finally got you back. But unbelievable tennis you’re always so tough to play and we always have the toughest matches. Congratulations to you and your team for an amazing Grand Slam run.

Thank you to everyone who came out and cheered the last two weeks. I always feel so at home here. I made my very first Grand Slam semi-final here in Melbourne so to now have won my first Grand Slam in the same place means the absolute world to me. I’m so thankful to all of you who come out and cheer every time we’re here in Melbourne.

I just want to say thank you to my team. This is where I’m gonna cry. I have wanted this for so long I have been in one other Grand Slam final and it did not go my way and I didn’t know if I was ever going to get back to this position to try to win a trophy again. And my team believed in me every step of the way so thank you so much.

They believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself and helped me every step of the way. Last year was tough. I had some rally bad injuries and I didn’t know if I was going to be able to do it again and to be here and have this trophy and to be able to do it with my husband I love you all so much I cannot wait for more.

Madison Keys has been receiving congratulatory messages from people all around the world, including one famous rapper who left her starstruck on Sunday afternoon.

Lil Wayne took to X to send his congratulations to the American Tennis star for winning the Australian Open on Saturday.

Keys hilariously replied: ‘Wow okayy’.

And what a win it was for the American, who clinched her first-ever Grand Slam title on Saturday afternoon by sweeping away defending champion and world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

Keys had to claim victory the hard way, too, besting all of Danielle Collins, Elena Rybakina, Elina Svitolina and world No 2 Iga Swiatek to reach the final of the tournament – the second Grand Slam final she has ever played in.

Keys, who is coached by her husband Bjorn Fratangelo, credited her life partner for helping her revive her tennis career.

Keys had burst onto the tennis scene at the age of 14 and was being backed for stardom during the early years of her career.

But injury woes and dips in form have hampered Keys’ attempts to win titles in the past and that prompted her to change coaches.

Fratangelo, a former ATP top-100 player, slowed down his tennis career to begin coaching Keys back in 2023, before they were married in November 2024.

‘I have the absolute greatest team,’ she said while holding the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup on Saturday.

‘They have really believed in me in the moments that I did not believe in myself, and they basically helped me completely rebuild after some pretty bad injuries last year.

‘And I have the most supportive, best husband in the entire world, who did not even want to coach me and I was like, “Please, come with me”.

Read more about Keys’ remarkable journey to Australian Open glory here…

After a rollercoaster two weeks, today the 2025 Australian Open men’s singles champion will be crowned.

We watched Madison Keys snatch victory away from defending champion Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday night so will the same happen again tonight?

Jannik Sinner bids to defend his title against Alexander Zverev at the Rod Laver Arena and we’re expected to be getting underway at around 7:30pm AEDT (8:30am GMT) today.

Both players have arrived at Melbourne Park for tonight’s huge clash and while there is a Grand Slam on the line, there was a moment of sportsmanship in the tunnel between the two players.