Jannik Sinner: How Fear of Life in Early Teens Gave Tennis Its New World No.1

Jannik Sinner’s pathway to tennis has a fascinating backstory that intertwins fear, determination, and a dash of revenge. The soon-to-be No. 1 ATP player is currently vying for his second grand slam of the season. With his eyes on the trophy, the Italian player is soon going to battle with his old rival and the current World No. 4 Carlos Alcaraz. However, as he captivates fans with his meteoric ascent, the story of how he began playing tennis continues to bring out another side of the 22-year-old player.

Jannik Sinner, who started playing tennis at the age of seven, also had a different passion for a sport other than tennis. Sinner, who was a champion skier from Italy, enjoyed skiing since he was 8 years old. However, the Miami Open Champion who did skiing during the off-season made a life-altering decision after four years of enjoying the sport. 

In his own words, “When I was 12 or 13, I was in a race, and it was the first downhill race. You go there and you have to jump 30 or 40 meters, and when you’re a kid it’s scary. For me it was. So I said: maybe I am too scared to go on skiing. I chose to play tennis because, for me, it’s a healthy competition.”

The Australian Open Champion, known for his aggressive playing style, further added, “You don’t have contact with your opponent, but you can still hurt him.” Sinner also played football as a kid before finally switching to pursue his interest in tennis at the age of 13. He once admitted, “In skiing, you have to go down a hill for maybe 90 seconds, and if you make one mistake, then it’s over. In tennis, you can play two hours, make many mistakes and still win the match.”

Little did he know that his choice that day would lead him to an extraordinary journey in tennis. Jannik Sinner’s swift transition from ski slopes to tennis courts has been a story of resilience and determination. Embracing the challenge, Sinner, with his powerful forehand strokes, went on to become a professional tennis player at the age of 17. Sinner won his first ATP Challenger title in Bergamo in February 2019 at the age of 17 years and 6 months, Since then, he hasn’t had to look back.

Currently, with 13 singles titles to his name, he is the highest ranked Italian player in tennis. Not only that, he is soon going to become the world no. 1 player too. Naturally, the 22-year-old player is over the moon about it as he recently revealed.

Jannik Sinner is “happy” after his rise to the top in tennis

After Novak Djokovic (world no. 1) withdrew from the French Open due to his knee injury, the world No. 2, Jannik Sinner is soon going to become the next top player in tennis. However, in doing so, he will also etch his name in history as the pioneer Italian player to hold the top ranking in tennis. Naturally, Jannik Sinner, who has won three titles this season, is excited after achieving this great feat.

“It means a lot, but I think it’s great for Italy. We’re a great country with great coaches and players, and we can see this now how this moment is. I’m happy to be part of this Italian movement. People, they start to play tennis now more and more, which is great to see. I think that’s the most important.”” he said in Paris.

Jannik Sinner’s rise in tennis serves as a testament to his hard work and commitment to the sport. As he continues to rewrite the Italian tennis history, fans will also be in awe of on-court achievement.