Petra Kvitova said she was “shaken” and “fortunate to be alive” after a knife attack in her apartment, on this day in 2016.

The two-time Wimbledon champion was confronted by an intruder posing as a utilities man seeking to read a meter, holding a knife to her throat and injuring her racket-holding hand in the attack.

“I am shaken, but fortunate to be alive,” the Czech player wrote on social media.

“The injury is severe and I will need to see specialists, but if you know anything about me I am strong and I will fight this.”

At a press conference three days later, Kvitova revealed she had undergone surgery lasting nearly four hours after tendons in all four of her fingers and thumb were damaged as well as two nerves.

Having initially targeted a return for Wimbledon, Kvitova made her return to competitive action ahead of schedule at the French Open in 2017 and reached a grand slam final at the Australian Open two years later.

Although she fell to defeat against Naomi Osaka in the 2019 final, Kvitova put the loss into perspective post-match.

She said: “To my team, thank you for everything. But mostly thank you for sticking with me even though we didn’t know if I would be able to hold the racket again. For supporting me and staying positive for me, which I really needed.”

In 2019, Czech man Radim Zondra was charged and sentenced to eight years in prison, with the sentence increasing to 11 years on appeal.

Kvitova is currently ranked 14th in the world and won the Miami Open in April earlier this year.

Novak Djokovic is still setting "unbelievable" standards and remains the man to beat heading into the 2024 campaign, according to Holger Rune.

Twenty-four time grand slam winner Djokovic added another Australian Open, French Open and US Open crown to his collection this year.

The 36-year-old won a Tour-best seven singles titles in 2023 and finished top of the ATP Rankings for a record-extending eighth year in a row.

"I think it's great to see that Novak can still play at this level. It's unbelievable what he's doing," Rune said.

Only Carlos Alcaraz stopped Djokovic from landing a career first calendar Grand Slam with his triumph in the Wimbledon final.

However, if the next generation are to truly take the mantle from Djokovic, Rune accepts they need to start bloodying the Serbian's nose more regularly.

Alcaraz was closest to Djokovic in 2023 with six tour titles, while Daniil Medvedev won five and Jannik Sinner four.

For all the talk of someone new potentially dominating the male game, though, Rune does not believe Djokovic's era of dominance is over yet.

"Alcaraz won a slam this year. Sinner finished in the top four. I was number four for the first time this year," he said. 

"I think the next generation is very interesting. I think we are trying to compete with Novak and to see if we can match him. 

"Still, he's winning three out of four grand slams - it's kind of tough. Before we can say that, we need to start winning more regularly against him."

Rafael Nadal's return from injury will be "great for tennis", says world number eight Holger Rune, as the Spaniard builds towards an appearance at next month's Australian Open.

Nadal will return after close to a year on the sidelines at the Brisbane International, which runs from December 31 to January 7, as he targets a bid for a 23rd grand slam title at Melbourne Park later in January.

The 37-year-old has not competed since this year's edition of the Australian Open, having suffered a hip injury during a surprise second-round defeat to Mackenzie McDonald.

Nadal attempted to recover from his injury before the start of the French Open in May, only to be forced to withdraw from that tournament and undergo season-ending surgery.

The 'King of Clay' has said 2024 will likely be his final year on the tour, and while Rune accepts it will be difficult for Nadal to recapture his best form, the Dane is excited to see how he fares.

"It's great for tennis that Rafa is coming back," Rune said. "It brings even more fans to the tournaments and more excitement for the sport. I think this is good. 

"We're going to have Novak [Djokovic], Rafa, [Carlos] Alcaraz, [Jannik] Sinner and more guys for the Australian Open. That's going to be super fun and it's exciting to see how it's going to go.

"You see some videos where he's practicing hard, but of course it's always difficult to come back and play after so long. But I'm excited to see it."

Jack Draper was the last player to lose to Nadal, going down in four sets in the first round of the 2023 Australian Open, and he is keen for a chance to avenge that defeat next year.

"I mean, I think it's amazing for tennis. Obviously, he's put in a lot of hard work to be back on tour, I'm seeing lots of videos of him training very intensely," Draper said.

"It's just good for the spectators, the players, that someone of his calibre – one of the greatest of all time – is back playing.

"I hope I get a chance to play him again because I think I was one of the last people to play him. It'll be amazing to have him back on the tour."

World number 32 Alexander Bublik echoed those sentiments, adding he was excited to see who will have the honour of being Nadal's final opponent if – as expected – he retires next year.

"Of course, it's very exciting that Rafa is coming back," Bublik said. "He's a legend of our game.

"But I just discussed it with Holger… I'm more excited to think who is going to play him in his last match, who he's going to finish such a legendary career against. 

"So for me, it's an exciting time. We'll see how he comes back but he's going to bring a lot to the game."

Jack Draper has no doubt Emma Raducanu will get back to the top of the game.

The former US Open champion is preparing to make her comeback after eight months on the sidelines following operations on both wrists and one ankle.

Raducanu, now ranked down at 298, has been training ahead of her first tournament back in Auckland in a couple of weeks’ time but still does not have a coach or a settled team around her.

Draper knows Raducanu well having grown up with her in juniors as the standout British hopes, and he said: “Obviously, when she’s fit, she’s an incredible player.

“She’s been struggling with injuries for a long time. I think people forget that before the US Open she was still in school. She didn’t have a lot of training. Obviously, she had that huge run and achieved what people dream of achieving in their whole career.

“And then I think to expect so much of her after that is a bit of a mistake because she hasn’t maybe got a lot of that physical foundation and the experience of playing on the tour and all those things that all those other players have.

“But I think the talent that she’s got and the maturity as well to do what she did at the US Open is off the charts.

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“I think if she can get herself to being at a good fitness level where she’s built up that resilience over months and years and keeps working on her game, she’ll be right up there with the best in the world and she’ll be competing for grand slams again.

“She’s motivated to want to come back. I don’t know how she’s going to get on but I know that, at some point next year, the year after that, she’s going to be back to being in those finals and those big positions because she’s got everything it takes. It’s just a matter of when.”

Draper can certainly empathise with Raducanu’s fitness struggles having spent much of this year on the sidelines himself.

A lingering hip problem, an abdominal injury and illness limited him to five tournaments over the first four-and-a-half months of the season before he damaged a tendon in his shoulder at the French Open and was forced to miss Wimbledon.

But, since returning in mid-August, Draper has again showed what an exciting talent he is, making the fourth round at the US Open and then reaching his first ATP Tour final in Bulgaria last month.

His ranking, which had plummeted to 123 from a high of 38 in February, is now back up to 61, and the 21-year-old is optimistic his ‘Mr Injured’ tag is behind him.

“I’ve always worked really hard, I’ve always tried to do the right things for my body,” he said.

“And this year I was really excited to see what happened but it just seemed like I kept on getting injured. I think some of it could have been to do with the fact that at the end of last year I changed fitness trainer and the guy was well respected.

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“I loved him to bits and we put in a lot of great work, but I just don’t think it was maybe the right work for me. And so my body kind of broke down.

“I think now, especially after having all those injuries, what’s a positive in it is that I understand my body a whole lot better now. So I feel like, in terms of the body stuff, I’m in a great place.”

Draper is playing catch-up to the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who are similar in age and have already established themselves at the top of the sport.

“I want to be competing with those two,” he said. “That’s kind of my benchmark of where I want to get to. I see myself being right up there with them. It’s just my past has been a little bit different. I’ve had certain things that have held me back.

“Next year, I want to be top 20 in the world. I want to stay injury free. I want to make sure that I’m able to play five sets in the grand slams without breaking down physically.

“I feel like I’ve got great people around me, I’ve got the mindset where I want to achieve great things. It’s just fulfilling my potential, whatever that looks like.”

Watching from the sidelines gave Draper the chance to reflect on his career so far, and he added: “I’ve had a bit of a mindset shift in terms of my perspective on life.

“And I feel like that’s a big part of why I’ve come back so quickly is because I feel like I’m a much better player now than I was when I was 38 in the world.”

Draper will spend Christmas at home before travelling to Australia on December 29 ahead of his first tournament in Adelaide beginning on January 8.

British 14-year-old Hannah Klugman cemented her status as one of the most exciting prospects in the sport by winning the prestigious Orange Bowl title in Florida.

The historic under-18 tournament ranks alongside the grand slams as one of the biggest events in the junior game, with recent winners including grand slam champions Coco Gauff, Bianca Andreescu and Sofia Kenin.

Klugman defeated top seed Laura Samsonova in the quarter-finals and fourth seed Iva Jovic in the last four before a 6-3 6-3 success against American Tyra Grant in the final on Sunday.

She is the first British player to win the main girls’ title having finished runner-up in the under-14 tournament last year.

Klugman said: “It’s an amazing feeling. I played 14s last year and made the final. I was really gutted I didn’t get the win, and obviously to get the win at under-18s, I’m still just 14, it’s incredible. This is still just part of the journey, a little step, but it’s nice.

“I was walking past the poster with all the great players (who have won). I saw Coco Gauff. It’s good that I can be on that board. It doesn’t mean anything in the big picture but hopefully I can make it.”

The success caps a brilliant season for the schoolgirl, who reached her first junior grand slam quarter-final at the US Open as well as finishing runner-up in the girls’ doubles at Wimbledon with compatriot Isabelle Lacy.

Klugman, from Wimbledon, has also already started to make her mark in the women’s game, elevating her ranking inside the top 700.

Having seen Grant peg her back from 3-0 down in the second set, Klugman again showed her maturity to turn things back in her favour, finishing with a run of three games in a row.

“I’ve been so strong on court,” she said. “I was a match point down in one of my matches and also stepping up on those big points. I think I’m really taking on the shots, being aggressive. But for sure it’s my mentality, staying calm out there.”

Chris Evert has announced her cancer has returned and she will undergo another round of chemotherapy.

The 18-time grand slam champion revealed in January 2022 she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer following a preventive hysterectomy.

Evert had learned she had a significantly increased risk of developing cancer after her sister, Jeanne, died of the same disease in 2020.

Evert, 68, was given the all-clear in January and was told there was a 90 per cent chance the cancer would not return, but that has not proved to be the case.

In a statement released through ESPN, for whom she works as a pundit, Evert said: “Since I was first diagnosed with cancer two years ago, I’ve been very open about my experience.

“I wanted to give all of you an update. My cancer is back. While this is a diagnosis I never wanted to hear, I once again feel fortunate that it was caught early.

“Based on a PET CT scan, I underwent another robotic surgery this past week. Doctors found cancer cells in the same pelvic region. All cells were removed, and I have begun another round of chemotherapy.”

Evert will not be working at the Australian Open while she undergoes treatment but said she would be “ready for the rest of the grand slam season”.

“I encourage everyone to know your family history and advocate for yourself,” she added. “Early detection saves lives. Be thankful for your health this holiday season.”

Nick Kyrgios has withdrawn from the Australian Open for the second year in a row.

The 28-year-old has played only one match in 2023, on grass in Stuttgart in June, and his withdrawal appeared inevitable when his name was absent from the entry list for next month’s tournament.

“This is a very disappointing time for me but I won’t be able to compete at the 2024 Australian Open,” Kyrgios said on social media.

“Obviously, heartbreaking. I’ve had so many amazing memories there and I just want to really get back to playing at the top of my game and doing it right, and I need a little more time.”

Kyrgios pulled out on the eve of his first-round match at Melbourne Park in January and revealed he needed knee surgery.

At the time he was optimistic the lay-off would not be too long but it was June when he finally returned, and that proved a false dawn.

Kyrgios, who reached the Wimbledon final in 2022, then withdrew just before the Championships, this time citing a wrist injury, and he has not been seen on a match court since.

Kyrgios, who is currently unranked because of the length of his absence, announced he will be in Melbourne to do media work.

Jack Draper has opened up about the heartbreaking impact of his grandmother’s battle with dementia in announcing his new partnership with Alzheimer’s Society.

The 21-year-old’s maternal grandmother Brenda has been one of the biggest supporters of his career but she no longer recognises him after being diagnosed with the condition in 2015.

Draper is the latest ‘sports champion’ for Alzheimer’s Society and will use his role to raise awareness of dementia.

“Tennis comes from my nana,” said Draper. “She was a tennis coach when she was younger. My mum played. I was always very fortunate in my family that it seemed like everyone could hit a tennis ball. Me and my brother played when we were young.

“She was always our biggest fan along with my granddad. Very, very hard-working people. Just loved sport in general.

“She has lost all physicality now. She doesn’t know who anyone is. My pa (grandfather) has done an incredible job to keep her going almost. It’s a full-time job. He is essentially her carer.

“It has definitely been really difficult for all of us. That’s why I think it’s important that this is something I want to do. Be an ambassador and support the Alzheimer’s Society. It is something that comes from my heart.

“My pa says that now I have got to the point where you can watch it on TV and I’m playing against great players, she’s looking at the wall. Which is difficult.

“He appreciates what I am doing. He says he is always very proud of me and she would be, too. Without her, I wouldn’t be playing.”

Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia charity and helps those living with the disease as well as funding research.

Chief executive Kate Lee said: “We’re so incredibly moved that, in order to raise much-needed awareness, Jack has decided to share publicly the heartbreaking details of his nana’s dementia.

“It’ll make so many others feel less alone. Every day we hear stories about people losing the ability to communicate, socialise and enjoy the sports they once loved.

“We must end the devastation caused by dementia, and we’re delighted to have Jack on board as our new Alzheimer’s Society sports champion to help us do that.”

Emma Raducanu will make her comeback at the ASB Classic in Auckland next month.

The 21-year-old has not played a match since a heavy loss to Jelena Ostapenko in Stuttgart in April. She subsequently withdrew from the Madrid Open and opted to undergo surgery on both wrists and one ankle.

Having initially targeted a comeback in late summer or early autumn, Raducanu has ended up missing the rest of the 2023 season.

Until recently there were doubts over whether she would make the start of next year but those have eased in recent weeks as she has stepped up her training.

And it has now been announced she will play at the WTA tournament in New Zealand beginning on January 1.

It will be Raducanu’s second appearance in Auckland and she will hope it is more positive than her debut in January, when she suffered an ankle injury during her second-round match and retired in tears.

The former US Open champion was able to recover to compete at the Australian Open but opted to undergo a procedure on her ankle to repair the damage in the spring.

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She criticised the “slippery” courts afterwards but has decided to accept a wild card to return.

Raducanu’s ranking has slipped to 296 and she faces a long road back to the top of the game, but it should give her the opportunity to fill in some of the steps she missed out thanks to her giant leap to stardom.

She can use a protected ranking of 103 to enter tournaments because of her long lay-off but that is currently not high enough to earn her a place in the main draw of the Australian Open.

Barring enough withdrawals of higher-ranked players, or a wild card, she will have to go through qualifying at a slam for the first time since her stunning title run in New York in 2021.

Reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff, former world number one Caroline Wozniacki and Wimbledon semi-finalist Elina Svitolina are among the other names confirmed for the Auckland tournament.

Former champion Caroline Wozniacki has been awarded a wild card for the Australian Open but Emma Raducanu has missed out on the initial batch.

Raducanu has a protected ranking of 103 due to her lengthy absence from the tour following operations on both wrists and one ankle but that is not currently high enough to secure entry to next month’s grand slam tournament.

The 21-year-old’s status as a former slam champion and one of the most high-profile female players in the sport counts in her favour but most wild cards usually go to home players.

If Raducanu is not given a wild card, and there are not sufficient withdrawals among higher-ranked players to secure her place, she will have to go through qualifying – the avenue by which she sensationally triumphed at the US Open in 2021.

The good news is, after doubts about the pace of her recovery, she has stepped up training in recent weeks and appears on track to return at the start of next season.

Raducanu has not played a tournament since the WTA event in Stuttgart in April and her actual ranking has fallen to 296.

That is 54 places lower than former world number one Wozniacki, who came out of retirement last summer following a three-and-a-half-year hiatus in which she had two children.

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The Dane impressed, reaching the fourth round of the US Open, and she told The AO Show: “I have so many wonderful memories of Melbourne, and of course winning the Australian Open is an all-time career highlight.

“Melbourne’s one of my most favourite cities in the world, and I can’t wait to share it with my family and my kids.”

Wozniacki won her only slam title at Melbourne Park in 2018 before retiring at the same venue two years later.

The other initial wild cards for the tournament, which begins on January 14, have gone to Australian trio Kimberly Birrell, Olivia Gadecki and Taylah Preston.

Cameron Norrie has added a new coach to his team as he bids to regain form in 2024.

Australian Stephen Huss, who won the Wimbledon men’s doubles title with Wesley Moodie in 2005, will work alongside Norrie’s main coach Facundo Lugones.

The British number one struggled over the second half of the season, losing 12 of his 16 matches following a second-round exit at Wimbledon.

Norrie told the PA news agency: “It should be good. I’m doing 10 to 12 weeks with him, more the practice weeks, to help me, to help Facu and just to keep things fresh and to have a different eye.

“I don’t know him too well but I’ve heard a lot of good things about him, and I think he’ll be really good for the team in general.”

Norrie has worked with Argentinian Lugones, who he met while studying at Texas Christian University, for his entire professional career.

He has also had help from experienced Lawn Tennis Association coach James Trotman, who now works with Jack Draper, and his former TCU coach Devin Bowen but has decided to bring in someone permanent.

“It was kind of both of our idea but more so Facu,” said Norrie. “I think it’s key to keep it fresh with your coach. I travel so much with Facu. We’ve never had any issue with that but I think it’s good to have someone else.

“I had that already, I had James Trotman from the LTA and Devin Bowen still helping me, still doing weeks, but they couldn’t really give it enough time for me. I was asking a lot all the time, try to do weeks with Devin at TCU and having him fly but he’s busy with the school and then Trotters with Jack.

“So it was difficult but it should be good to have someone else. It doesn’t really change too much with Facu, he’s still going to do a lot of weeks and he still wants to come to every tournament, which is great to have such a driven coach like that.”

Norrie, meanwhile, is getting ready to begin his pre-season training this weekend by hiking into the snowy French mountains and staying in a campervan.

The 28-year-old, who is an ambassador for Lexus and drives the RZ electric car, admits he will be well outside his comfort zone but is looking forward to the challenge.

“We’re going with my fitness trainer and we’re going up this mountain, sleep in his camper,” said Norrie, who is based in Monte-Carlo.

“One night, then the next day we have this big hike in the snow. He wants to test me a little bit. I’ve never really seen the mountains there.

“I love walking but I’ve not done a really long hike before. I bought some new shoes this week to get ready for that. We looked at the weather and it was minus 12 so I’ve got a big jacket as well. We’re bringing some food, some tea, play some cards. It should be good.

“I think it’s his idea to just change my mind, maybe leave the phone and just go and be in nature, see the mountains. He tells me it’s not the easiest hike. Hopefully no injuries. Then Monday he’s killing me in the gym.”

Norrie will kick-off the new season at the United Cup in Australia beginning on December 29.

Rafael Nadal will make his comeback following a year out at the Brisbane International later this month.

The 22-time grand slam champion has not played a competitive match since suffering a hip injury during his second-round defeat by Mackenzie McDonald at the Australian Open in January.

Having initially hoped the lay-off may only be a few weeks, Nadal admitted in May that he was staring at the end of his career and that he hoped to be able to play a final year on tour in 2024.

He had surgery in June and has been gradually building up to a return that he has now announced will be at the Brisbane International, a key warm-up event for the Australian Open, beginning on December 31.

In a video on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Nadal said: “After a year away from competition, it’s time to come back. It will be in Brisbane the first week of January. I’ll see you there.”

The 37-year-old is currently ranked down at 663 having seen his 18-year stay in the top 10 end in March.

Brisbane will also mark the return of Naomi Osaka following the birth of her first child in July.

Former British number one Johanna Konta announced her retirement from tennis on this day in 2021.

Konta, then 30, had struggled with a persistent knee problem and slipped to 113th in the rankings.

She made the announcement on social media with a post headed ‘Grateful’.

She wrote: “This is the word that I’ve probably used the most during my career and is the word that I feel explains it best in the end.

“My playing career has come to an end, and I am so incredibly grateful for the career that it turned out to be. All the evidence pointed towards me not ‘making’ it in this profession.

“However my luck materialised in the people that came into my life and impacted my existence in ways that transcended tennis.

“I am so incredibly grateful for these people. You know who you are. Through my own resilience and through the guidance of others, I got to live my dreams. I got to become what I wanted and said as a child.

“How incredibly fortunate I count myself to be. How grateful I am.”

Born in Australia to Hungarian parents, Konta moved to Europe to pursue her tennis career as a teenager, settling with her family in Eastbourne and becoming a British citizen in 2012.

A relatively late developer, Konta’s emergence at the top of the game began in 2015, and the following year she reached her first grand slam semi-final at the Australian Open and climbed into the top 10.

Her best season was arguably in 2017, when she became the first British player since Virginia Wade to make the semi-finals at Wimbledon, won the biggest of her four career titles at the Miami Open, and peaked at fourth in the rankings.

Konta slipped down the rankings in 2018 but was resurgent the following year, making another grand slam semi-final at the French Open as well as quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the US Open.

Her final match was a three-set loss to Karolina Muchova at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.

She made no secret of her desire to start a family – something she did not want to do alongside her career – and gave birth to daughter Emmeline the following September.

Andy Murray inspired Great Britain to Davis Cup victory for the first time in 79 years on this day in 2015 after success in the final against Belgium.

Britain had last got their hands on the trophy in 1936, when Fred Perry and Bunny Austin helped defeat Australia.

When Murray completed a straight-sets win against David Goffin in Ghent to clinch it, he completed one of the most impressive feats of his career.

The Scot’s 6-3 7-5 6-3 triumph against the Belgian number one at the Flanders Expo was his 11th win in the competition that season.

Murray spearheaded the victory and claimed 11 of the 12 points which Britain needed for the title, eight in singles and three in doubles with brother Jamie. The only player not a member of the Murray family to contribute was James Ward.

Three other players have won 11 rubbers in a season since the current Davis Cup format was introduced in 1981, but Murray became the first to do so all in live rubbers and remain unbeaten.

On their way to victory, Britain defeated the United States 3-2 in Glasgow, France 3-1 in London and Australia 3-2 in the semi-finals in Glasgow before Murray sealed a 3-1 success against Belgium.

Murray said: “I probably haven’t been as emotional as that after a match that I’ve won.

“I’ve been pretty upset having lost matches before. But I’d say that’s probably the most emotional I’ve been after a win.

“It’s incredible that we managed to win this competition. I didn’t know that would ever be possible.”

Jannik Sinner relished his role as Italy’s national hero after guiding his country to their first Davis Cup title for 47 years.

When Sinner was staring at three match points against Novak Djokovic on Saturday with Italy 1-0 down to Serbia, it appeared hugely improbable that he would be lifting the trophy 24 hours later.

But the world number four somehow recovered to defeat Djokovic, repeated the feat in doubles along with Lorenzo Sonego and then saw off Australia’s Alex De Minaur 6-3 6-0 on Sunday to clinch a 2-0 victory.

That sparked joyous celebrations among Sinner and his team-mates and the Italian-dominant crowd at a packed and vibrant Palacio de Deportes Martin Carpena in Malaga.

The victory earned Italy just their second Davis Cup title after success in 1976 as they continue to reap rewards from their heavy investment in men’s tennis in recent years, while for Australia it was more disappointment after their 2-0 loss to Canada in the final 12 months ago.

Sinner has elevated himself to the status of biggest challenger to Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz for the major titles and his performances here will send him into 2024 on a huge high.

“This is a really important win for me and for the whole team and Italy together,” he said. “We felt the pressure. We had a lot of responsibility. But still we managed. We were excited. Obviously everyone is really happy about the end result.

“I came here with confidence. I gave 100 per cent, all what I had, and I think the whole team, they pushed each other, and this is maybe our key why we are standing here with this trophy.”

It was fitting that it was Sinner, who had won both singles and doubles rubbers in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, was the man to seal it.

Given Australia’s strength in doubles, though, the crucial win may have been Matteo Arnaldi’s in the opening rubber against Alexei Popyrin.

Nerves were all too evident in a clash of two young players inexperienced in the unique pressure-cooker of Davis Cup, but it was 22-year-old Arnaldi who ultimately handled it better to win 7-5 2-6 6-4.

Popyrin, 24, seemed to have a grip on the match after losing the opening set and had eight break points in the decider, but Arnaldi was rewarded for bold play at the big moments and it was his opponent who tightened up when it really mattered.

A tearful Arnaldi said: “It’s very emotional, more because a very important person passed away a month ago for me and my girlfriend so this is for him. I think now I won one of the most important matches in my life. I’m sorry for Alexei, because he deserved to win, for sure.”

Popyrin was distraught, saying: “It’s heartbreaking. I let it slip, and it hurts.”

De Minaur had had a day extra to prepare for the clash than Sinner but had lost all five previous matches against the Italian and had no answer to the 22-year-old’s power.

Australian captain Lleyton Hewitt, part of their last title-winning team 20 years ago, rued another near miss, saying: “Obviously it’s disappointing for the boys. The first match out there today could have gone either way.

“Jannik, he’s played awesome all week. He backed up what he did yesterday against Novak and played extremely good tennis.

“I’m super proud of all the boys and the support staff and the team. We did absolutely everything we possibly could have, and we have come agonisingly close yet again.”

De Minaur vowed to make it third time lucky, saying: “We are very, very close. It’s stinks like hell. Again, like I said last year in this same position, we’ll be back. We’ll get this. We’ve got a very, very strong future ahead of us.”

To do that they will have to get past Italy, though, and they have other young players waiting in the wings.

Sinner said: “We are all very young. We are really hungry to try to win it one more time for our life, but in another way, having this feeling at least once, it is a really special feeling.”