Jannik Sinner: Quiet man of tennis basks in the limelight of Wimbledon glory
For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport
The Italian beat his fierce rival Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the latest instalment of their captivating rivalry to claim his fourth Grand Slam at the age of 23.
The pair are the new dominant forces in men's tennis, sharing the past seven Grand Slams between them as the memory of the 'Big Three' era fades.
While Alcaraz is the flashy showman of the game, adored by the fans for his high-risk, high-reward tennis, Sinner stays ice-cold on the court and mild-mannered off it.
His game is based on relentless power and accuracy from the baseline, resembling that of 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
The Italian is getting used to life at the top, reaching his fourth successive major final at Wimbledon this year — a run that started with the US Open last season.
Sinner defended his Australian Open title in Melbourne in January but his career was put on hold after that as he served a three-month ban for twice testing positive for banned anabolic steroid clostebol last year.
Sinner has always maintained the product entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, who had used a spray containing it to treat a cut.
The World Anti-Doping Agency said 'Sinner did not intend to cheat' but that he would serve his suspension as he is responsible for the actions of his entourage.
Sinner returned to the court in May, reaching the final of the Italian Open, where he was beaten by Alcaraz.
Next on his schedule was the French Open and again he reached the title match, this time suffering heartbreak as Alcaraz came back from two sets down, saving three match points to defend his title.
That gave the Spaniard an 8-4 lead in the rivalry between the pair and was his fifth straight win.
But the tables were turned on Sunday as Sinner showed impressive mental strength to come back after losing the first set.
Sinner was born in German-speaking San Candido, in northern Italy, near the border with Austria.
A career in professional tennis was not a given.
He was a champion skier as a youngster and still enjoys the sport in the off-season. He was also a keen footballer.
The right-hander, who stands six feet 3 inches (191 centimeters) tall, won his first title indoors in Sofia in 2020.
The 2024 season was his breakthrough year as he collected his first Grand Slam, the Australian Open, and followed up with seven other titles including the US Open.
He became world number one — and the first Italian to reach top spot — in June last year.
Sinner's super-power is his extraordinary ability to stay calm on court.
'I know he's just 23 years of age, but sometimes it feels like he's much older and wiser than what we are,' said his coach Darren Cahill. 'He's an incredible young man.'
Sinner makes no secret of the fact that he loves the job he has chosen.
'I'm very lucky because tennis started off a hobby when I was young, and now it becomes my job,' he said.
'In my mind it's still a hobby. I love to go on court and just play. There is no better place to do it than in big stadiums with packed crowd.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
5 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Defending champions Sinner and Sabalenka lead entry lists for the US Open
Defending champions Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, who both top the tennis rankings, led 10 former winners of the US Open who were on the entry lists for this years' tournament that were announced Tuesday. The fields include 18 past Grand Slam singles champions, the US Tennis Association said. Direct entry into the final major tournament of the tennis season was based on the rankings through July 14. The cutoff was at No. 101 for the men and No. 99 for the women. Sinner earned his fourth Grand Slam title when he beat No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final. Sabalenka lost in the semifinals to Amanda Anisimova, who at No. 7 is one of four American women ranked in the top 8. The US led all countries with 30 players (16 women, 14 men) earning direct entry. Players who used a special or protected ranking to qualify included Nick Kyrgios, Petra Kvitova, and Sorana Cirstea. Play in the main draw begins Aug. 24.
Al Arabiya
10 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Barcelona Star Yamal faces backlash for reportedly hiring people with dwarfism for birthday party
Barcelona, Spain–Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has been criticized and could face an investigation for reportedly hiring people with dwarfism as entertainers during his lavish 18th birthday party this weekend. Spain's Ministry of Social Rights has asked prosecutors to open a probe into the hiring and exposition of the entertainers. Ministry director Jesús Martín Blanco told Europa Press that such hirings take us back to the Middle Ages. A local association for people with disabilities had already condemned the alleged hirings, saying it would take action legally and socially against those responsible for promoting such actions. Spanish radio station RAC1 published an interview with one of the entertainers who said he was in the party. The man said they were all treated with respect. He complained about the reaction against Yamal for hiring them. Yamal celebrated his birthday with a party filled with celebrities. It also included some of his Barcelona teammates.
Arab News
10 hours ago
- Arab News
UK union leaders say Met police charges against Palestine activists an attack on right to protest
LONDON: Over 20 prominent union leaders in the UK have raised concerns about the erosion of the right to peaceful protest in the country and about the Metropolitan Police's handling of pro-Palestinian marches. The 22 trade union leaders criticized in a joint statement on Tuesday the Met's decision to charge former union members who were arrested during a London protest in solidarity with Palestine. The Met arrested over 70 people in a pro-Palestine protest on Jan. 18 in London. Among those detained were Alex Kenny, a former executive member of the National Education Union; Sophie Bolt, the general secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; Ben Jamal, the director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign; and Chris Nineham, the vice-chair of the Stop the War Coalition. The union leaders referred to the arrests and charges against Kenny and Bolt as a threat to the right to protest. 'Alex Kenny is a long-standing, and widely respected, trade union activist who has organised peaceful demonstrations in London for decades,' they said in a statement. 'We believe these charges are an attack on our right to protest. The right to protest is fundamental to trade unions and the wider movement. The freedoms to organise, of assembly and of speech matter; we must defend them,' they added. They called for the Met to drop charges against Kenny, Bolt, Nineham, and Jamal. The signatories include Paul Nowak from the Trades Union Congress, Christina McAnea from Unison, Daniel Kebede from the NEU, Matt Wrack from the Teachers' Union, Dave Ward of the Communication Workers Union, Mick Whelan of the train drivers' union ASLEF, and Eddie Dempsey from the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers. They said the decision to charge Kenny and Bolt follows the prosecution of Nineham and Jamal. Amnesty International, along with dozens of legal experts, expressed concerns over the Met's handling of the pro-Palestine protest in January, with some describing the arrests as 'a disproportionate, unwarranted and dangerous assault on the right to assembly and protest.' At the protest, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and former shadow chancellor John McDonnell were interviewed under caution and released pending further investigations. MPs and peers have also called on Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to review protest legislation introduced by the former Conservative government.
