Meet Jannik Sinner's parents Johann and Siglinde: The quiet support behind Wimbledon champion's rise

Economic Times

a day ago

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Jannik Sinner's parents, Johann and Siglinde, supported their son's journey from skiing in the Italian Alps to winning Wimbledon and becoming world number one
Jannik Sinner's parents, Johann and Siglinde, have remained a steady presence behind the scenes throughout their son's rise to the top of men's tennis. Sinner, now the world number one and freshly crowned Wimbledon 2025 champion, is the first Italian in history to achieve the top ranking in men's singles tennis. However, at one point in his youth, Sinner appeared destined for a very different sport.
Growing up in the German-speaking region of Italy's snow-covered Dolomites, Sinner was deeply involved in skiing. His upbringing made this an expected path. 'The reason why I chose tennis was, in tennis you can make mistakes. You can lose points but you can still win the match,' Sinner told Vogue in 2024. 'In skiing, if you make one mistake, one big mistake, you cannot win.'
Also read: Wimbledon 2025 final: Jannik Sinner defeats Carlos Alcaraz in four sets, full stats breakdown
At the age of 13, Sinner made the difficult decision to leave his hometown for the Italian Riviera, enrolling in a tennis academy to pursue the sport full-time. He credits this ambition and discipline to the influence of his parents. At the time of Jannik's departure from home to chase his tennis dreams, his parents were working at a ski lodge, with his mother Siglinde employed as a server and his father Johann as a cook. Reflecting on those early days after winning the 2024 Australian Open, Sinner said, 'My parents are special because when I [came] back from school my parents were not there, they were working and I used to always go to ski. When I came back home at 4:30 my mom used to be at home but I went to play tennis sometimes, a little bit of [soccer].'
Although his parents regularly attend his matches today, Siglinde often chooses to watch from a distance due to nerves. During the Italian Open in Rome, she was spotted leaving after her son dropped the first set. When asked about it, she told Gazzetta: 'I left at the end of the first set. I'll take a stroll around here and wait for the match to end. I never watch Jannik's entire matches live; it rarely happens. I prefer to stay in front of the TV. Only in Turin did I manage to watch the final and a bit of the previous rounds. My husband stayed; he never has any qualms.'
Also read: Novak Djokovic: Is it time to say goodbye after another Grand Slam semifinal loss?Her anxious reactions at the French Open in Paris earlier this year went viral, highlighting her struggle to watch live, particularly during tense moments.Johann Sinner, sometimes referred to by his other name, Hanspeter, was born in Italy's South Tyrol region. The Sinner family now runs Haus Sinner, a guest house in their hometown, where Johann assists with the restaurant when not traveling to support Jannik on tour.'So they are always working and that's what I love about them,' Jannik said during a press conference in 2024. 'They're not changing anything with me. I'm a normal person who I was when I was a very young kid with a big dream and now I'm just 22 years old with still a big dream.'Johann missed this year's French Open final, which Jannik narrowly lost to Carlos Alcaraz, due to work commitments at home. 'My dad was not here because he was working today,' Sinner told reporters at Roland Garros after the match. 'Nothing of our success changes in the family.'
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Their continued modest approach stands in contrast to their son's increasing fame following his Wimbledon victory.