Jannik Sinner has become a worldwide phenomenon and we realize it more every day: for this reason the interview conducted by Financial Times, one of the most famous economic-financial newspapers in the world, does not surprise us. The South Tyrolean tennis player has captured everyone’s interest and certainly doesn’t hold back in this chat recorded a few days ago in Monte Carlo. “The 22-year-old Italian won his first Slam this year: no one thinks it will be his last”: this is his presentation.
Being calm is, for me as a player, really important, because you can see things a little better and a little faster. If you feel frustrated, it’s like when you’re driving a fast car and you can’t see what’s outside.”
Positive mentality
“When I was younger – 16 or 17 – I entered a couple of tournaments and lost. And then I called my parents and wanted to explain what had happened. And they said, ‘Yes, okay, but we have to talk later because we have to work now, okay?’. At that point I realized that obviously results matter, but what really matters is trying to work hard, wake up and go to work and do it with a smile. My parents always came home and smiled. That’s what they gave me: a really positive mindset with a really good work ethic.”
Skiing
“When I was 12 or 13, I took part in a race, and it was my first downhill race. You go there and you have to jump 30 or 40 metres, and when you’re a child it’s scary, for me it was. So I said to myself: maybe I’m too scared to go skiing. I chose to play tennis because, for me, it’s a healthy competition. You don’t have contact with your opponent, but you can still hurt him.” Still on skiing: “What helped me the most was the mental part. When you ski and make a mistake, you can’t win the race. If you fall, you’re out of the race.”
Home
“Days at home are really important to me because they give me the feeling of when I was young. I go to the slopes, I ski a little, I have fun with my friends. In my mind, it’s like going back to the old days, and that’s really, really nice for me: these are perhaps the most special days I can have.”
Physicist
“Right now I’m in the gym more than on the tennis court. Every body is different: I, for example, have to be strong and stable. And I think this is one of the reasons why I took this extra step, because physically I’m grown up When I was 20, I still didn’t have the body of a 20-year-old – and you have to accept that…”
Alcaraz
“It’s really nice to see when someone young achieves something great. I think that’s what the sport needs. We have a really good relationship on and off the pitch. We give everything we have and also try to entertain the crowd, maybe him more, because he has spectacular shots.
Popularity
“If I go to the store and people ask me for photos, I accept. It’s nice, especially when someone young approaches me, because I was young too and sometimes too shy to ask for a photo.”
Roland Garros and Wimbledon
“There’s definitely more motivation now. I’m in a different position than I was a year ago, because in my mind I know I can do certain things. I’ve always believed in it, but it’s different when you know you can do it. It’s exciting.”
Sinner: “What happened happened, I’m someone who cancels and moves on”
