Wimbledon: Jannik Sinner’s Childhood Hobby Gives Him the Upper Hand Over Rival Carlos Alcaraz, Claims Andy Roddick

With roots in alpine skiing, Jannik Sinner is carving his way to the summit of tennis. The Italian tennis player has begun establishing his grass dominance by winning the Halle Open and defeating Hubert Hurkacz. Looking into his amazing run, the American tennis legend Andy Roddick opened up about how the skier side of him might be helping him on grass to get a little extra edge.

Ahead of the Wimbledon, in a recent episode of, “Served With Andy Roddick,” the former US Open champion talked about Sinner. He stated, “I know Halle is the slipperiest grass court there is because it’s half indoors. It’s like a domed roof where – you have to have direct sunlight for a grass court to be perfect. Halle doesn’t have that benefit, right? It rains, they have to protect, they have to put an event on.”

Growing up, Jannik Sinner looked to Olympic skier Bode Miller as inspiration, having been a strong junior skier. During the same talk, Roddick underlined how his early experiences with alpine skiing may have served as a springboard for his sporting career, molding his resolve and concentration as he made the switch to the professional tennis circuit.

Further, he added, “I know he was a a former skier when he was young and I was actually, uh, playing golf with Kevin Anderson this morning and he goes, ‘That ski thing. Has to matter on grass when you’re kind of getting in and out of cuts.’ He goes, ‘That’s just like a natural thing for him.'”

Reflecting back on his early career chasing days, the world number one, despite finishing second nationally as a junior in the giant slalom, made a crucial decision at the age of 12 to dedicate himself to tennis as his career.

Sinner has incorporated the agility and precision of skiing into his tennis game, taking cues from his early days on the slopes and Bode Miller’s motivation. These tactics still shape his style of play on the court. But, in contrast to popular belief, Sinner’s boyhood hero wasn’t a tennis great like Roger Federer or Andre Agassi. Rather, it was the alpine skier who grew up in the gorgeous mountains of the Dolomites who caught his interest.

Jannik Sinner idolized a ‘crazy guy’ that ‘won or crashed’

Last year, in a conversation, the 22-year-old talked about his idol. “I was fascinated by this crazy guy (Miller); he was extroverted, and I was shy. Bode was different: he won or crashed. And I looked like him in the snow: I got on the podium or I didn’t reach the finish line.”

Sinner, who grew up in the German-speaking Dolomites of Italy, decided to focus on tennis instead of skiing, even though he had won national junior titles in the sport. He became the second Italian guy to win a Grand Slam singles championship after Adriano Panatta in 1976 when he triumphed at the Australian Open this year, demonstrating how his talent and perseverance paid off.

Nevertheless, what are your thoughts on Sinner’s tennis achievements? Do let us know in the comment section below.