Australian Open junior: Sesko beats Hance, it is the first title in history for a Slovenian

Surprise in the final of the junior men’s singles of the Australian Open: the Slovenian Ziga Sesko beat the American Keaton Hance, who had also beaten Simone Massellani in the round of 16 (best Italian). The Slovenian, born in July 2008 and seeded seventh, prevailed 4-6 6-3 6-4 to become the first Slovenian to win a junior Slam.

the match

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After the excellent start of the American, who finds the decisive break in the fifth game of the first set, where he loses only three points with the first, Sesko changes gear. A precise volley to cut the court (“I like to go forward and play aggressively, I have a good volley”) gave the break in the second set to the Slovenian, who was glacial in holding it until the end to force the decisive set. There the greater aggressiveness, as evidenced by the 33 total winners to 21, has shifted the balance towards him. And, despite an exchange of breaks and four match points disallowed, he proved to be the best on the pitch, finishing with a first winner and an incredulous smile, rolling his eyes.

the character

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And to think that Sesko didn’t even want to play the junior Slams in 2026. “Before the season, the intention was to play as much as possible on tour. But, after winning a Slam, we will need to change our plan.” On the other hand, his is not a victory that goes unnoticed, having beaten 3 of the top 4 seeds: the n. 2 Miguel in the quarterfinals, the n. 3 Tabata in the semifinals and no. 4 Hances to the decisive act. An important journey for the 17-year-old from Hrastnik, a town of 10,000 inhabitants where Sesko took his first steps in the local club together with his father, a table tennis player. A historic affirmation for Slovenia, which can however also make some of Italy smile. Ziga’s manager is in fact Ugo Colombini, the same as Jacopo Vasamì, a former professional (maximum n.274 ATP) and in the past also part of the entourage of Murray and del Potro. A new prospect who also found the approval of the Rod Laver Arena, which often applauded his and Hance’s clean shots, but the greater coolness on break points made the difference. “Now I will be able to reply to my friends’ messages, I didn’t reply to them for a couple of days, I wanted to stay focused,” Sesko laughed after the win. To celebrate, he will leave Australia immediately at night to join Davis’ Slovenian team: he is called up for the play-off match against Turkey, from Friday 6 to Sunday 8 February. Who knows, to immediately start playing on tour too.