Watch: Jannik Sinner pays tribute to Kobe Bryant five years after his death

Jannik Sinner has just won the third Grand Slam title of his young career. The Italian ace dominated the 2025 edition of the Australian Open, losing only two sets during his run and giving the feeling of always being in absolute control of his opponents.

Despite winning eight titles last season and creating a huge gap in the ATP rankings, the world No. 1 worked even harder during the off-season and improved further in all aspects of the game.

His mental strength has remained intact and the other players will really have to come up with something special to dethrone him. The 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria is already looking ahead and aims to achieve extraordinary results also on red clay and grass, where he had some problems in 2024 also due to some physical problems.

The 3-time Grand Slam champion is not satisfied with what he has already won and always wants to improve, maintaining that humility that drives him to give the best of himself every single day. 

His hope is that the CAS in Lausanne will not break his plans and declare him innocent in the trial that will take place in mid-April.

Jannik Sinner pays tribute to Kobe

After the 2025 AO final against Alexander Zverev, Sinner wore the ‘Nike Air Force 1 Low Retro QS Bryant’ in memory of basketball legend Kobe Bryant. The former Los Angeles Lakers star died on January 26, 2020, exactly five years ago, due to a tragic helicopter crash.

Through this small gesture, the world number 1 wanted to remember an athlete who made the history of sport and who was a great example for his absolute dedication to his work.

The Italian champion will not have much time to enjoy this triumph, as he will defend his title at the Rotterdam ATP 500 in just over a week.

Jannik will also play another tournament in February, the Doha ATP 500.

In both of these tournaments, his great rival Carlitos Alcaraz will also be there.

​Tennis World USA


Thanks for reading! Ready to elevate your game? Explore myAI Tennis Coach for AI-powered coaching and match strategies or check out my book, Stop Losing!, for winning tips. Don’t forget to explore our Live Scores page for the latest results and highlights. Stay tuned for more updates—see you on the court!