He was only 22 years old when he first became world number one on June 10, 2024. You'd think then that nothing stands in the way of a successful career for Jannik Sinner. The Italian has been considered one of the brightest talents in international tennis for years, and with multiple titles and his number one ranking, he has quickly lived up to expectations. Exceptional skills, impressive speed, and his mature playing style ensure that Sinner will likely be one of the players dominating tennis in the coming years. In this player profile, we delve deeper into the Italian's past, career, and past successes.
Name: Jannik Sinner
Nationality: Italian
Born on: August 16, 2001
Tennis hand: Right
Current ATP Ranking: 1
From skiing to lessons with Riccardo Piatti
Jannik Sinner was born on August 16, 2001, in San Candido, a small village in the Italian Dolomites. Because of his appearance and the fact that his name doesn't sound very Italian, questions about the tennis player's origins are often asked, and the origins of Jannik Sinner's parents are also frequently debated. However, Sinner, as well as his parents, are Italian. At a young age, it wasn't immediately clear that he would fully commit to tennis. Sinner was also a good skier, winning many titles in that sport. Despite his success on skis, he ultimately chose tennis. "If you make a mistake in tennis, you can make up for it with the next point," he said at the time. "But if you make a mistake in skiing, the race is over."
When the decision to focus solely on tennis was finally made, he moved to Riccardo Piatti's tennis academy. This renowned Italian coach has coached several major tennis players, including Novak Djokovic. Piatti immediately saw potential in Sinner and helped him develop into an all-around player, both physically and mentally sound. It quickly became clear that Piatti's lessons were paying off.
Fast track to the top
In 2019, Sinner entered the Challenger tournaments for the first time, and it was an immediate success. That year, he won titles in Bergamo, Santa Margeritha Di Pula, and Ortisei, and also won the ATP Next Gen Finals in Milan. In the final, he defeated Alex de Minaur, and from that moment on, he was not only known by the general public but also entered the world's top 50. It was therefore no surprise when he won his first ATP-level title in 2020. In Sofia, Bulgaria, he defeated his Canadian opponent Vasek Pospisil in the final, quickly entering the world's top 20.
It quickly became clear that the victory in Sofia had left the young Sinner wanting more. Within no time, he also secured his second ATP title (Melbourne), followed by final victories in Washington, Sofia again, and Antwerp that same year. Jannik Sinner continued to climb rapidly in the rankings, and in 2021 he upped his game by reaching the quarterfinals of three of the four Grand Slam tournaments. Only at Roland Garros did he "only" reach the fourth round, and with the title in Umag, Croatia, added to his results, he showed he was in good form.
First Grand Slam titles for Sinner
In 2023, Sinner continued where he left off: racking up victories. That year, he topped Montpellier, Toronto, Beijing, and Vienna, and even reached the semifinals of Wimbledon. It was therefore no surprise that he entered the world's top five. He developed so rapidly that it was a long time coming before he would actually win a Grand Slam title, and that wait was soon—perhaps even sooner than expected—rewarded. In January 2024, Sinner captured the Australian Open title by defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final, and in September of that year, he also won the US Open.
Between those two Grand Slam titles, Sinner racked up even more titles in 2024. He won in Rotterdam, Miami, and Cincinnati, and in Halle, he also showed he can win titles on grass. Thanks in part to all these victories, Sinner has been ranked the world's best since June 2024, and if the Italian continues at this pace, he could hold onto this ranking for a long time to come.
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