“You have to be a complete player, not only [on] one surface, but on also the other two,” proclaimed Italian Jannik Sinner after his electrifying Australian Open triumph at the Rod Laver Arena. And isn’t he right? You must embody relentless dominance across every court to etch your name alongside immortals like Roger, Rafa, and Novak. Perhaps that’s precisely what fuels the current World No. 1, who, even in the glow of defending his Norman Brookes Challenge Cup, openly discussed the cracks in his game, especially on clay and grass, hinting at his unquenchable hunger to perfect his craft.

The Italian’s 2025 season started with a bang, riding high on his ATP World Tour Finals victory in November last year. And his AO campaign? Absolutely sensational! Sinner dropped only two sets, one against the Australian Tristan Schoolkate in Round 2 and another against the Danish Holger Rune in Round 4, before storming into the final. Facing world No.2 Alexander Zverev, who led 4-2 in their head-to-head record (3-1 on hard courts, till the final), the showdown was anything but suspenseful. The 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 score line. meant that Sinner dominated the match, actualizing an impressive 107 total points to Zverev’s 83, with 32 winners in the mix! It was a masterclass altogether, plain and simple. He also achieved a milestone after the tournament ended: clinching 21 consecutive sets against Top-10 opponents in this century, surpassing the legendary Roger Federer. Yet, despite the acclaim, the Italian didn’t bask in the glory for long. Right after clinching the AO title for the second time, he turned the spotlight to an area where he admits he still struggles a bit: his performance on grass and clay courts.

Sinner, who won 17 of his 19 career titles on hard courts, talked post-match, highlighting his desire to improve on other courts. “I take it as positive because on the other surfaces I still have to improve. I’m going to put a lot of energy in that, trying to find the right ways, and hopefully to go far also in the other Grand Slams who are not played on hard court. I’m still young and I think I have time to adjust, especially on grass court, because I never played the juniors. I can do better,” admitted the AO champion. Looks like a man on a mission, doesn’t he? Well, Sinner certainly needs to be one, as his records in clay and grass leave something to be desired, still.

Sinner, who is currently on a career-best 21-match winning streak, struggles to put out his best form off the hard court. Take his clay court record, for example. With a 71.1 win percentage on clay, he faced a semifinal defeat on the soil against Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2024 Monte Carlo Masters. And his results at Roland-Garros the years before were arguably worse, but improving. After exits in the fourth and second rounds in previous years, the Italian made it through to the semis in France last year. Ultimately, the Italian lost to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling five-setter.

Sinner’s grass-court example also showcases how a player may fare differently on two different courts. Just look at his numbers at Wimbledon. He made two quarter-final appearances on Center Court (2022 and 2024) and one SF (2023), which included running into the ‘Serbinator’ Novak Djokovic on consecutive years (although, to his credit, he did improve on their second meeting) and going down to Daniil Medvedev in 2024. 

The Italian, who won his third career Grand Slam, will look to boost his grass and clay records this year after a magnificent start to the 2025 campaign. However, the long AO campaign seemed grueling to him as Sinner just reported pulling out from a hard court tournament where he previously won!

Sinner opts-out from ATP 500 Rotterdam Open

The first Grand Slam of the season is done and dusted! With the AO final win over Sascha, Jannik Sinner became the first player since Nadal at Roland-Garros to successfully defend his first Grand Slam title win. And that’s not all! The Italian also became only the fifth ace in the Open era after Djokovic, Roger Federer, Ivan Lendl, and John McEnroe to win three successive hard court Slams. Inspiring figures from a mere 23-year-old, isn’t it? Well, just as the numbers spell out, his body was put to the test throughout the tournament. Consequently, Sinner announced his withdrawal from a familiar hard court territory (Rotterdam) which he conquered last year.

In a recently published statement released by the Rotterdam Open organizers, the Italian acknowledged his difficult decision while indicating towards his physical condition after the glory Down Under. “After consulting with my team we had to take the difficult decision to withdraw from the ABN AMRO Open. My body needs time to rest after the long run in Australia. I have great memories of winning the title in front of amazing crowds at Rotterdam Ahoy last year and hope to be back there soon,” he added.

Sinner’s Rotterdam triumph in 2024 was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. As a breakthrough year in 2024, he won his first AO after beating Daniil Medvedev despite losing the first two sets. Just 15 days later, he participated in Rotterdam, losing only one set (against Gael Monfils in RO16) on his way to the final, where he clinched the title after beating Aussie Alex de Minaur in the final 7-5, 6-4. Fresh from winning the AO in style, do you think that the rest will help Sinner to take a gigantic leap in this year’s other three Grand Slams, especially on clay and grass? Share your thoughts below!