Jannik Sinner has had a year of mixed emotions. While he overcame numerous challenges on and off the court, he persevered and silenced his critics. Now, he’s leading Italy to the semi-finals of the Davis Cup. On the eve of their Davis Cup Finals debut, the Italian tennis team, featuring Jannik Sinner, Matteo Berrettini, Lorenzo Musetti, Simone Bolelli, and Andrea Vavassori, shared heartfelt messages to themselves on the FITP social channels. Sinner’s stood out owing to his doping saga!

“Dear Jannik, I think that the emotions you experienced in the last year will stay with you for a long time. The only goal you had set yourself was to understand what you were capable of doing. And you certainly arrive at this Davis Cup more aware of your means than a year ago. You were good at holding your ground when everyone had an opinion about you. Especially those who didn’t know you. From this 2024,

you have learned that the important people, who know you so well, are the people you will have to keep forever. In difficult times you always come out stronger. As soon as you arrive in Malaga you feel the eyes of the whole world on you, the pressure is felt and, between us, you start to like it a little, ” is the text of the letter written by Sinner .

This year(in June) saw Sinner make history, becoming the first Italian to reach World No. 1 in singles tennis since computerized rankings began in 1973. He maintained his position until the end of 2024, winning two Grand Slam titles and multiple ATP tournaments. But off-court issues overshadowed his success.

Ahead of the US Open, it emerged that he had tested positive for Clostebol, a banned substance, twice in March. He avoided a ban due to unintentional contamination, but WADA in September appealed for a harsher investigation. Despite receiving criticism from players like Nick Kyrgios, Sinner stayed determined. He ended his letter with a reminder to himself: “Jannik, never forget that this is just a game and that you feel good when you have fun. I love you, Jannik.”

After a season full of more ups than downs, Adriano, an Italian former tennis legend, said beating Sinner is next to impossible now.

Italian ex-pro says to beat Jannik Sinner, you need to find a player in another galaxy

Panatta spoke highly of Jannik Sinner’s dominance in 2024. He expressed admiration for the Italian star’s supremacy over his rivals. “We should look for an opponent in another galaxy because here on Earth there is no one who can worry him. In these 50 years of tennis I have never seen such an evident supremacy over his opponents,” Panatta said.

Panatta acknowledged Carlos Alcaraz as the only player who might challenge Sinner at his peak. “At this moment perhaps Alcaraz if he plays at 100% can worry him, but Jannik managed to win the Finals without losing a set against the best in the world,” he added. Jannik Sinner capped a historic season on this past Sunday when he defeated Taylor Fritz to claim his first Nitto ATP Finals title.

The Italian legend highlighted Sinner’s destructive style of play that gives his opponents no chance to recover. “He comes on the court and starts hammering you from the back of the court, with everything. And with an extraordinary nervous endurance for his age,” Panatta said. Known for his bold opinions, Panatta has long admired Sinner, who became just the third man in the Open Era to earn his first two majors at the Australian Open and the US Open in the same season.

Thus, being at the top at the moment, there doesn’t seem any stopping for Jannik Sinner. He and his Italian teammates are aiming to defend their Davis Cup title at the Martin Carpena in Malaga. After defeating Argentina in the quarterfinals, Filippo Volandri’s team is set to face Australia in the semifinals.