Jannik Sinner: ‘The work never stops’ | ATP Tour

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Jannik Sinner: ‘The work never stops’

Italian reflects on his triumph at Flushing Meadows

September 09, 2024

Jannik Sinner on Sunday became the first player since Guillermo Vilas in 1977 to win his first two Grand Slam titles in the same season. But this year’s Australian Open and US Open champion has no intention of slowing down.

The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings is keen to continue pushing forward.

“For sure winning the first Grand Slam of the year gives you confidence, it gives you good feelings. But in the other way, you always have to work. It never stops,” Sinner said. “It’s like you always keep going and keep going. Until now I didn’t have so much time off to say, ‘Okay, you have done a great job’.

“It’s big thanks also to my team, because we always try some new work, some new things out, tactically. How can you play better against certain opponents? How do you work on such shots? Whatever you feel better or not, I was a lot in the gym, because I knew physically I still had to improve and I still have to improve a lot.”

A lot of hard work has gone into Sinner’s ascent in 2024. Before he lifted two major trophies, he spent countless hours in the gym and on the practice court refining his game.

“This is all part of sacrifices you make for an eventual future. So we will keep working,” Sinner said. “In my mind, I know that I’m not perfect and I will never be perfect, but we always try to evolve in my game. Then after my career I can say, ‘Okay, I’ve done everything possible to be at 100 per cent’.”

The 23-year-old Sinner and 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz swept this year’s major championships and are now a combined 6-0 in Slam finals. It is the first season since 2002 in which a member of the ‘Big Three’ — Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer — did not triumph at a Grand Slam event. Federer retired in 2022 and Nadal only played seven events this year.

“It’s something new, but it’s also nice to see. Nice to see new champions. Nice to see new rivalries. I always have players and I will always have players who are going to make me a better player, because there are going to be times where they beat me. Then you have to try to find a way how to win against certain players,” Sinner said. “Today we saw that not everything was perfect. I could have served slightly better, but this makes me realise that the work never stops.

“It’s always a continued work, which, in the end of the day, if you want to be a better player you always have to work, and you have to have these daily routines, accept difficult times on court.”

This victory at Flushing Meadows is also different for Sinner compared to his win at Melbourne Park. Entering the season’s first Slam, Sinner had made just one major semi-final. In New York, he was the top seed and World No. 1.

“I believe that you can’t really compare them, because it’s different circumstances, different times of the year,” Sinner said. “I believe that in Melbourne was a kind of a relief, because in my mind, it was like I was working for it, and you never know if you can win one Grand Slam or not. But when you win one, you know that you can do it potentially.”

In the touching moment of the day, Sinner dedicated his title to his aunt, whom the Italian said is struggling with her health.

“My aunt, she’s a very important person, because when my parents, they were working every day and all day, so sometimes when I had to go to ski races, I went with her,” Sinner said. “She always helped me in summertime when my parents were working and I had some days off or free days. When you are young, you don’t go to practice every day. So I hung around a lot with her, and she’s a very important person in my life.”

Sinner lost just two sets in the tournament and throughout the fortnight showed why he is the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings and in great position to earn ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours.

“I feel like I have grown match by match and that my confidence level went higher and higher at some point,” Sinner said. “It was different because I had maybe a bit more pressure this time than in Australia. I’m happy how I handled this one. I’m just excited to have this trophy with me.”