Wins over opponents at either end of the age spectrum – 39-year-old Stan Wawrinka initially as well as teenagers Joao Fonseca and Learner Tien – have ensured Sonego’s seventh appearance in the AO main draw has been his most successful at this level just a few months before he enters his thirties.
The right-hander from Turin – home now to the ATP’s annual tour finals every November – has always been capable of producing tennis to test the very best, but until this latest run has perhaps struggled to produce consistency day in, day out at any of the sport’s four majors.
He first caught the eye when he scored a shock victory over then-world No.1 Novak Djokovic in Vienna in 2020, and enjoyed the spotlight during his most…