After being broken at 3-3 in the final set, Sinner created chances to place the match back on serve.
“I had my chances in the fifth set. Many break points, I couldn’t use them,” he said. “He came up with some great shots.
“Most of the time, he served very well … I was in the rallies a couple of times, I missed the shots, and it can happen. That’s tennis, and that’s how tennis works.”
Friday night’s loss means Sinner relinquished the opportunity to become just the fourth male in Australian Open history to win three straight singles crowns, and the first since his semifinal opponent to achieve the feat.
An opportunity missed to join that illustrious list, plus the fact his 19-match AO winning streak had ended, made the result even harder to swallow.
“[It hurts] a lot,” said a deflated Sinner. “It was a very important Slam for me, knowing also the background, it can happen.
“It was a good match from both of us. I had many chances, couldn’t use them, and that’s the outcome. It hurts for sure.”