Jannik Sinner is never satisfied and constantly pursues the goal of improving. The world number 1 has just experienced the best season of his young career, impressing everyone and proving that he can make history in the sport.
It is no mystery that Jannik’s 2024 is one of the best seasons of all time and the fact that this player is just 23 years old leads to the belief that he can improve further. The 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria has won eight titles this year, including two Grand Slams, three Masters 1000 and the ATP Finals in Turin.
The Italian ace has had incredible consistency over the past twelve months and is certain to remain at the top of the ATP rankings even after the 2025 Australian Open, although he will have to defend his title at Melbourne Park next month.
Jannik Sinner, ATP Finals 2023© Stream screenshot
The 2-time Grand Slam champion is enjoying the last days of rest before flying to Dubai, where he will carry out his preparation for the 2025 season. The world number 1 knows that he can still improve in some aspects and wants to achieve even brighter results next year, in which all opponents will finally try to beat him.
In 2024, only four players have managed to defeat Sinner. Carlos Alcaraz has beaten Jannik three times (in Indian Wells, the French Open and Beijing), Stefanos Tsitsipas beat him in Monte Carlo, Daniil Medvedev beat him at the Wimbledon Championships and Andrey Rublev defeated him in Montreal during the summer.
Sinner will have to defend many points
The Italian ace will have to defend 11,830 points in 2025, an impressive figure that does not scare Jannik. The 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria only hopes not to be disqualified by the CAS in Lausanne due to the doping case, which was opened again following the appeal presented by WADA last October. The trial will not take place before February 11, 2025.
Jannik Sinner, Shanghai Masters 2024© Stream screenshot
“It was a tough time,” the 2-time Grand Slam champion stated in a long interview with ‘Esquire’. “I couldn’t talk to anyone about it. I couldn’t vent or get help. All the people who knew me and watched me play understood that there was something wrong with me.
“I had sleepless nights because even if you are certain of your innocence, you know that these things are complex. Everyone immediately told the truth and that allowed me to play. But at Wimbledon, I was white.
“And even afterwards, my feeling with people was fearful. I went into training at the Cincinnati clubhouse and thought, ‘How are they looking at me? What do they really think of me?’ I realized who my real friends are. I have grown so much this year, both mentally and physically” – he added.
The desire to improve
After the preparation in Dubai – which will take place from 9 to 24 December – the world number 1 will return to Italy to spend Christmas with his family. After that, Jannik will leave for Australia to get used to the weather conditions and the surface but will not play official tournaments before the Australian Open. The 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria will only play a few exhibition matches before the ‘Happy Slam’, in which he will have to defend the title won in 2024.
In February, the Italian will not only play the prestigious Rotterdam ATP 500 but also the Doha tournament. In Qatar there will be 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, who has just signed a new partnership with Qatar Airways (which is the main sponsor of the event).
Jannik Sinner© FITP Tennis/Instagram – Fair Use
Many fans and insiders were impressed that Sinner played the best season of his career despite the doping case that affected him. The world number 1 has gone through months of great stress, which have affected his serenity especially between spring and summer. The 2-time Grand Slam champion recounted his discomfort and did not hide his disappointment when he learned of WADA’s appeal.
On the latest edition of his podcast, former American star Andy Roddick defended Jannik once again: “Now we’re looking at the February 11 date for Sinner and WADA. Does WADA feel like they have to do something? If it’s a month, like Iga, which I feel at this point they have to do, like they’ve set precedent. I’m not going to go after Sinner because I don’t think he knew. I don’t think he’s that dumb. I just don’t. Maybe I’m wrong. We’ll never know. Best player on earth and worst doper that’s ever lived, maybe.”
He continued: “Players that are chirping about these champions that will be Hall of Famers, when they’ve never put in two good days of work together simultaneously in their lives, it’s all just like I kind of roll my eyes at all of it. There’s a serious issue.”
Tennis World USA