We could have been watching Jannik Sinner whizzing down giant slaloms in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. That very well may have been the case had his parents pushed him in the direction of skiing.
Instead, Sinner won the Australian Open on Sunday night at Melbourne Park.
Growing up in the northern Italy, German-speaking region of South Tyrol, Sinner dabbled in skiing, tennis, and soccer. He was most accomplished as a skier, winning a national championship at the age of seven in 2008. He was second in the national championships four years later at 11.
In the end, however, Sinner chose tennis. He “enjoyed it more,” in part because he felt it required more athleticism than skiing.
Despite having no notable results in junior tennis, Sinner’s parents let their then-14-year-old leave home for Bordighera on the Italian Riviera to train with world-renowned coach Riccardo Piatti.
The rest, of course, is history.
Fast forward nine years and Sinner is–at least right now and regardless of what the rankings say–the best tennis player on the planet. Following a dominant finish to the 2023 campaign and Sunday’s Australian Open triumph from two sets down against Daniil Medvedev, the 22-year-old is up to No. 4 in the world and within 1,545 points of No. 1. That spot is still occupied by Novak Djokovic, whom Sinner has defeated three times in four tries dating back to this past November.
“I wish that everyone could have my parents,” Sinner said while thanking his family during the Aussie Open trophy ceremony. “They always let me choose whatever I wanted to. When I was younger I [played] also some other spots. They never put pressure on myself. I wish that this freedom is possible for as many young kids as possible.”
“I don’t see them so often, unfortunately,” Sinner added during his press conference, “but when I see them it’s always great time. I went away from home when I was 14 years old. So I had to grow up quite fast, trying to cook for myself, trying to [do] laundry.
“I think for me (it) was tough, but for the parents to leave their son [at] 14 years old, it’s also not easy. They never put pressure on myself, which for me is maybe the key why I’m here today. I’m a very quite relaxed man, who just enjoys to play tennis. I’m 22 years old, so I also enjoy doing normal stuff.
“And that’s it. They are the perfect parents. Obviously I know only them (as parents), but they are awesome.”
Not surprised that Jannik Sinner’s Dad advised him to switch to Tennis – much better money!
Wish that all sorting parents were like his, because there are some truly dreadful tennis parents out there.