Jannik Sinner pays respects to Kobe Bryant in unique fashion on Lakers legend's 5th death anniversary after Australian Open win

Jannik Sinner paid a beautiful tribute to Kobe Bryant after successfully defending his Australian Open title against Alexander Zverev on Sunday (Jan. 26). The Italian defeated Zverev in straight sets to win his third Grand Slam title.

Sunday marked the fifth year of Bryant's demise, who lost his life in a helicopter crash alongside his daughter and seven others. After Sinner defeated Zverev in the final, he changed his sneakers to the Nike Air Force 1 Low Retro QS Bryant to pay respects to the five-time NBA champion.

Alongside the Italian, many tennis players have paid respects to Bryant over the years with Novak Djokovic holding a shirt that read ‘Mamba Forever’, with a photo of Djokovic and Bryant after his 24th Grand Slam victory in 2023.

Sinner became the first man since Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros in 2006 to defend his maiden Grand Slam title. The 23-year-old had just reached a single Grand Slam semifinal before 2024 and has now won three titles since.

Sinner also became the first Italian to win three Majors and he did so in just five appearances since his first win. Speaking in an interview after his win, he said he hoped to continue the momentum into the season.

"It's an incredible tournament for me, I hope I can keep it going," said Sinner (via BBC)

The Italian will retain his World No.1 ranking, and will now set his eyes on winning his first French Open.

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"I have some similarities with his game style" - Jannik Sinner responds to Alexander Zverev's comparison claim with Novak Djokovic

2025 Australian Open - Jannik Sinner speaks - Source: Getty

Alexander Zverev was in tears after losing his third consecutive Grand Slam final against Jannik Sinner on Sunday. The German was consoled by the Italian afterward, and he compared the World No. 1 to Novak Djokovic in his prime at the press conference.

“He’s very, very similar to Novak when he was at his best. They barely miss, like barely miss. They make you think like you have to overhit all the time to have a chance in a rally against them," he said (via The Tennis Gazette)

Sinner responded to the claims during his press conference. While he acknowledged a few similarities with Djokovic, the three-time Major champion said that the Serb was unbeatable at his best.

“Well, it’s an amazing compliment, no, from Sascha [Zverev],” said Jannik Sinner. “I think everyone is different in a way. Obviously I have some similarities with Novak’s game style. I still believe when Novak plays at his best, it’s very, very, very tough to beat him."

Djokovic, a 10-time Australian Open winner, retired with an injury in the semifinals against Zverev, while Sinner had won in straight sets against Ben Shelton in his semifinal.