Sinner returns to the field: a sad Christmas for his aunt, training in the scorching hours, the hotel room ritual

In the season that must confirm the records of the one just concludedeven numbers have their importance. And so in the Melbourne hotel where he arrived late on Friday evening from Europe, Jannik Sinner chose the same room he had in January 2024when the furious climb to the top of the rankings began with his first Australian Slam triumph. Details, such as seven rebounds of the ball before serving, which help you feel better.

Forty-four days after the last official match of 2024 (against Griekspoor in the Davis Cup), it’s already time to start again. Soft debutas part of the exhibitions that the Australian Open organizes to do charity and warm up the atmosphere in view of the start of the tournament, tomorrow morning at 6 Italian against Alexey Popyrinthe home star with whom we have to avenge the only precedent on file, a second round in Madrid way back in 2021, even very far away if we consider the speed at which the world moves. 72 hours later, on Friday, Jannik will return to the field with Tsitsipasthe Greek who – with the complicity of a blunder by the chair umpire – gave him disappointment last year in Monte Carlo, on the ground that he will not tread this season: the program includes the ATP 250 in Munich, a softer landing on red, postponed compared to the Country Club after the American hard court.

Sinner is the champion who does not repeat the same mistake twice, fresh from a Christmas «strange and stressful» by his own admission: «It was a different day for the whole family, due to the loss of my aunt. But life is like that, sometimes it brings good things and other bad things. After the Clostebol affair I became even more attached to the people who love me and trust me. My aunt was one of them: I could talk to her about everything and it was wonderful. Family is much more important than any victory, even if I have been working every day to achieve it for years. Auntie was rare and special, I will carry her inside. Yes, it was a strange, very strange Christmas…”.

The (little) free time, however, is behind us. Cruz Hewitt on Saturday, the 16-year-old son of former Aussie No. 1 Leyton (with a corollary of other social unpleasantries by Kyrgios); the elder Wawrinka yesterday, the American Tiafoe today (USA winners of the United Cup, in the meantime): if the training schedule in Melbourne is established, it is no coincidence that they are placed in the hottest hours to allow the player coming from the snow of Sesto Pusteria to get used to the southern summer, Sinner he already has a full agenda for the whole year. The first deadlines are imminent: the draw for theAustralian Openthe first official press conference of the season on Friday, then the first Major of the season will come out of the blocks on Sunday.

Defending a Slam title from the clutches of Alcaraz who aspires to become the youngest tennis player to complete the career Grand Slam, by Djokovic which points to the 25th, of Zverev which still has to break the ice, of Medvedev who wonders if he is still capable of castling: a new situation for Jannik. «This is why I say that no two tournaments are the same, the performances will help me find the rhythm of the match, there is still time to raise the level».

In Melbourne he found a coach again Cahill and the post Clostebol team was reconstituted with Vagnozzi, Panichi and Badio. Because this is the background against which Sinner is called to move for the next few weeks: the wait for the verdict of the Tas, before which the number 1 will have to demonstrate that he has done everything possible to avoid contagion from the prohibited product, the it will dim the smile for a while longer. «A situation I’m still experiencing» he admits. But one thing at a time. Tennis first. Everything else, including Kyrgios, is boring for now.