How do you stay on top of the world when life keeps throwing curveballs at you? Jannik Sinner might just have the answer. The 2024 season was a rollercoaster for the Italian. On the court, he claimed both the Australian Open and US Open, while off it, he remained tangled in the chaos of doping allegations. But here’s the kicker: none of the drama seems to have fazed him. Instead, he’s used it as fuel, proving time and again that his game remains unshaken. This hasn’t gone unnoticed by a former professional tennis player who has much to say about Sinner’s mindset.

Mats Wilander praised Jannik Sinner for his remarkable resilience in yesterday’s episode of the podcast ‘Kick Serve,‘ noting how well he navigates challenges even while being in the eye of the storm. He said, “Hey, if I don’t win this, well, look how much cr*p is going on in my life. So somehow it gave him this freedom to do what Jimmy, what you just said, which is, yes, I’m number one in the world, but I have so many things to improve. And my situation is not, no, he never came out and said anything about his situation that would hurt him.”

Wilander further expressed, “But I think that he managed to use all of this to his advantage. However strange that sounds, I think, with his mountain mentality, being half Austrian, half Italian, I think he figured out a way to use it to his advantage, I really do.”

For context, the Italian tennis player has found himself at the center of a doping controversy. He tested positive for Clostebol twice, a banned anabolic steroid, in March 2024 during the Indian Wells tournament. He came in contact with the substance when his physiotherapist who had applied a clostebol-containing spray to his own injury, gave Sinner a massage without using proper precautions.

Sinner, however, was spared suspension since the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) gave him a clean chit. The ITIA decided that the contamination was accidental and cleared Sinner of all wrongdoing. Sinner had to forfeit his Indian Wells prize money which he had earned for reaching the semi-final. In September, WADA appealed the case and now its hearing will take place in 2025, sometime after the Australian Open.

Despite this controversy, Sinner has clinched two majors and is ranked World No.1 currently. His impeccable game is why Mat Wilander thinks he is in the league of some of the greatest of the game.

Mats Wilander compares Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz to the Big Three

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander was all praises for Jannik Sinner and his rival Carlos Alcaraz. In October after their China Open final showdown, Wilander said to EuroSports, “When Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are at their best, there is no way anyone has ever played better tennis.”

Wilander went on to even compare them to the big three. He said, “I hope Roger, Novak, and Rafa are not listening, but in terms of level, when Sinner and Alcaraz are at their best, there is no way anyone has ever played better tennis, that the tennis ball has done more different, complicated, difficult things than the ball is doing between Sinner and Alcaraz.”

The rivalry between Sinner and Alcaraz has been one of the most exciting rivalries in recent years. They’ve faced each other 10 times, with Alcaraz leading the head-to-head 6-4. In 2024 alone, they have met three times. Alcaraz triumphed in the Indian Wells semifinal and the Roland Garros quarterfinal before their tightly contested battle in Beijing which Alcaraz won as well.

As their rivalry continues to heat up, it’s clear that every match between Sinner and Alcaraz is a thriller. Looking ahead to 2025, it’ll be exciting to see how this dynamic unfolds.