Jannik Sinner has become one of the most popular athletes in the world thanks to his amazing results in 2024. The Italian ace has had an impressive rise since the second half of 2023 and his progress has been enormous from all points of view.
Jannik was recognized as a great men’s tennis prospect from the early years of his career, but he had struggled to complete the puzzle both technically and physically. His decision to leave Riccardo Piatti and rely on Simone Vagnozzi in the first months of 2023 started a new chapter, which produced truly amazing results (thanks also to the help of Darren Cahill).
Jannik Sinner, ATP Finals 2024© Stream screenshot
The 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria has left everyone speechless this season and not even the doping case that hit him has slowed down his rise. The world No. 1 has totaled 73 victories this year, suffering only six defeats. Sinner has won eight titles: two Majors, three Masters 1000, two ATP 500 and the ATP Finals in Turin. As if that were not enough, the Italian champion also helped his country win the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga for the second edition in a row.
His goal is to achieve even better results in 2025, but it will not be easy because he will have to defend almost 12,000 points and all his opponents will want to defeat him as early as the Australian Open. The world No. 1 will not play any official tournaments before the Happy Slam, which begins on January 12 at Melbourne Park.
The 2-time Grand Slam champion has already started training in Dubai with his team and will return to Italy for a few days to celebrate Christmas with his family.
Sinner loves Formula 1
Everyone knows that Jannik is a big Formula 1 fan, with whom he has signed a partnership. The world number 1 was present in Abu Dhabi for the last GP of the 2024 season and gave several interviews.
On that occasion, the Italian revealed that the very serious accident to Michael Schumacher had a big impact on him: “I always followed F1 as a child but I had never been to a race live. My first memory is linked to Schumacher.
When he had the skiing accident it was a blow for me. That episode made me understand that life can change in a second. Never take anything for granted, you have to live day by day, enjoy it with a goal.”
Jannik Sinner and his team© Jannik Sinner/Instagram – Fair Use
Sinner has not experienced easy months in 2024 due to the well-known doping case, which has not yet closed due to the appeal filed by WADA against the acquittal sentence. Jannik has been cooperating with authorities in recent months, and ITIA believed his side of events, declaring him innocent shortly before the start of the 2024 US Open.
The trial before the CAS in Lausanne is expected to take place in early 2025, although there is still no certain date. WADA has asked for a disqualification of 1 to 2 years for the world number 1, who is already certain to remain at the top of the ATP ranking even after the Australian Open.
An impressive level
A possible disqualification would greatly damage the image of the Italian ace, who had to change some members of his team during the season precisely because of this bad case. Umberto Ferrara and Giacomo Naldi have been fired, while their place has been taken by two former collaborators of Novak Djokovic such as Marco Panichi and Ulises Badio.
Despite these changes, Jannik continued to shine on the tennis court by winning the US Open, the Rolex Shanghai Masters and the ATP Finals in front of his fans. Panichi and Badio accompanied the 2-time Grand Slam champion to Dubai alongside Simone Vagnozzi, while Cahill will join the rest of the team in Australia.
Sinner Alcaraz© Instagram Jannik Sinner – Fair Use
In a recent interview with ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’, sports lawyer Tim Fuller discussed Sinner’s doping case: “I would suggest that it’s a very, very unusual case. All WADA are really doing here is saying we accept that it is unintentional but you bear, or did bear, a certain degree of fault or negligence for what’s happened … we say that you, as the athlete, bear the ultimate responsibility – which is strict liability – and we say, therefore, you have demonstrated fault and negligence in your actions.
And then we’re going to look at now what we say is between a mid- to high-range level of fault or negligence, and that’s why they’re seeking a ban of one to two years.
One year would be deemed to be at the high end of the low fault standard. Zero to 12 months is the range for low fault.”
Tennis World USA