The 2024 season has been a roller-coaster of a ride for Jannik Sinner. After clinching his maiden Grand Slam title earlier this season at the Australian Open, the Italian star delivered a power-packed performance to win the US Open title yesterday. He defeated the local favorite, Taylor Fritz in straight sets at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. But while all has been going well for Sinner on the court, things aren’t the same back home. Hours after winning the title in New York, Sinner shared a concerning update and revealed why he is dedicating his title to a close one.

Apart from his parents, Jannik Sinner also shares a close bond with his aunt. However, over the past few months, she hasn’t been in the best of health and Sinner dedicated his US Open title to her. Explaining this decision during an interview with TODAY, the Italian star said, “She is very important. She struggles with health at the moment… But in another way, I tried to bring something positive home and tried to give her a little bit of strength. I don’t know how much it can help, but I just try my best.”

Sinner’s aunt played an important role in the upbringing of the Italian star. Both of Sinner’s parents used to work and it was his aunt who took care of him while his parents were away. Sinner further went on to add, “She is a very important person in my life because my parents, they used to work all the time, and every time when I came back home after school or whatever and my parents weren’t there, my aunt sometimes arrived.”

Sinner entered the US Open on the back of a doping controversy that threatened to take away all the limelight. He faced a lot of criticism not just from fans, but also from fellow players on the tour. The Aussie star Nick Kyrgios even called for a ban on Sinner, but amid all the criticism, the World No. 1 emerged stronger and showed his determination at Flushing Meadows.

Jannik Sinner on his US Open journey: ‘Confidence level went higher and higher’

Despite entering the US Open on the back of the Cincinnati Masters title, all was not well in Sinner’s camp. He had just escaped a ban for failed dope tests only after providing a valid reason as to how he came in contact with the banned substance ‘Clostebol.’

Talking about the tough circumstances, Sinner said, “[It] was difficult because the pre-tournament circumstances weren’t easy. I felt that I have grown match by match and that my confidence level went higher and higher … I’m happy how I handled this one. I’m just excited to have this trophy with me.”

With his US Open victory, Sinner has now further cemented his position at the top of the ATP rankings. He is more than 4000 ranking points clear of the second-placed Alexander Zverev. Can Sinner continue his winning run in the upcoming tournaments? Let us know your views in the comments below.