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Tag: Sinner

  • Sinner wins Paris Masters to become world number one

    Sinner wins Paris Masters to become world number one

     Jannik Sinner won the Paris Masters for the first time by defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 7-6 (7⁄4) on Sunday as the four-time Grand Slam champion reclaimed his position atop the world rankings.

    The 24-year-old’s maiden crown in Paris, coupled with incumbent world number one Carlos Alcaraz of Spain crashing out early in the tournament, will see Sinner return to the pinnacle of men’s tennis when the ATP rankings are updated today.

    The Italian first claimed the number one ranking in June last year and held it for 65 weeks until he lost the US Open title-match to Alcaraz in September.

    Reclaiming top spot from his rival in Paris will taste even sweeter for Sinner after he went down in a remarkable five-set final to Alcaraz at Roland Garros earlier in the season.

     “Today is a very, very special day,” Sinner said on-court before thanking his team for their work over the season.

     “Felix, amazing week, I know you had a lot of pressure… If you keep playing like this I’m sure you’re going to win (big titles).”

    Despite missing three months at the start of 2025 after twice testing positive for traces of clostebol in March last year, Sinner has now won five titles this season – including the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

    Sunday’s victory was, however, his first 1000-level title since Shanghai last October.

    For Canadian ninth seed Auger-Aliassime, defeat at the last hurdle in the French capital prevented him from sewing up his spot at the ATP Finals later this month.

    Auger-Aliassime is, however, favourite to claim the eighth and final berth for the season-ending tournament as his run to the title-match leapfrogged him ahead of Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in the race to Turin.

     “It’s never easy to lose a final but there’s an opponent that I have to congratulate… You push me and all other players to improve,” Auger-Aliassime told Sinner.

    Despite being unable to add a fourth title to his list of achievements so far this season, the 25-year-old has enjoyed a renaissance in 2025 and cemented his place back amongst the world’s top 10.

     “It’s been a beautiful year and I’m sure our (his and his team) moment will come,” he added.

    In menacing form after dropping only one game in his semi-final win against third seed Alexander Zverev on Saturday, Sinner picked up immediately where he left off as he broke Auger-Aliassime in the opening game to seize the advantage.

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    The Canadian did not allow himself to be cowed by the second seed’s power hitting from the baseline and dug in to force Sinner to serve out the opening set, which he did in typically efficient fashion.

    The break point converted by Sinner at the start of the match was the sole one either player managed to fashion in a first set characterised by impeccable serving.

    Sinner then forced a couple of break opportunities at the very start of the second frame but Auger-Aliassime rallied to save himself on each occasion with a huge first serve.

    Both men were striking the ball cleanly as the number of winners continued to climb.

    Auger-Aliassime displayed grit to save three break points in the seventh game as Sinner looked to have finally worn the Montreal-native down with the relentless pace and accuracy of his groundstrokes.

    Leading 5-4, Auger-Aliassime made a sudden charge on Sinner’s serve, taking the game to deuce before an overcooked forehand and a net-cord, which landed on the wrong side of the court for the Canadian, saw the opportunity to force a decider pass him by as the set rumbled towards a tie-break.

    In the breaker, Sinner got ahead at 3-2 and never looked back as he raced to the trophy and the top of the world rankings, sealing both with a blistering backhand down the line on his first championship point.

  • Pope Leo XIV meets Tennis world No 1 Sinner

    Pope Leo XIV meets Tennis world No 1 Sinner

    Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner had an audience on Wednesday with the newly elected Pope Leo XIV, himself a keen tennis player, the Vatican said.

    Sinner was invited to the Vatican along with his parents and a delegation from the Italian Tennis Federation.

    Leo joked earlier this week that he didn’t want to meet the world number one, at least not behind the net.

    Asked by a journalist if he would take part in a charity match, Leo appeared up for it, but cautioned: “Just don’t bring Sinner,” making a Catholic pun about the last name of the tennis star.

    Sinner presented the pope with one of his tennis rackets, but the pontiff declined a suggestion that they knock a ball around, staring up at the lights in the reception room. “Better not,” he said, to laughter.

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    The pope, formerly known as US Cardinal Robert Prevost, described himself in a 2023 interview published, opens new tab by the website of his Augustinian religious order as “quite the amateur tennis player”.

    Sinner is taking part in the Italian Open tennis tournament, which is being staged a short distance from the Vatican, coming back from a three-month doping ban.

    He blushed when asked during a news conference on Monday about the pope’s comments and buried his head in his hands.

    “Why do you have to put me in a difficult spot?” he said, before adding: “Obviously I heard that he played as a kid. I think it’s a good thing for us tennis players to have a pope who likes this sport that we’re playing.”

    REUTERS

  • Aussie champion Sinner unfazed by new-found fame

    Aussie champion Sinner unfazed by new-found fame

    Jannik Sinner said winning the Australian Open has not changed him and he now has ambitions to be number one in the world.

     “I’m the same boy I was before I won the title,” he insisted on his return to Rome.

     “Feeling the warmth of the people, their enthusiasm, that pleases me, but I’m the same ‘ragazzo’ (lad) I was a fortnight ago,” said the first Italian to win the Australian Open at a press conference at the headquarters of the Italian Tennis Federation.

    His dramatic win over Daniil Medvedev on Sunday, which saw him come back from two sets down to win in five, sparked a wave of ‘Sinnermania’ in Italy but the 22-year-old is keeping his feet firmly on the ground.

     “I’m taking this popularity in my stride,” he said. “I’m happy to share all these emotions but it was only one tournament, and it’s possible that my results won’t be as good” in the future, smiled the man who ended a 48-year Grand Slam drought for Italian men’s tennis.

    He is the first Italian man to win a major since Adriano Panatta – the only man to beat Bjorn Borg on the red clay of Roland Garros – beat Harold Solomon in the final of the 1976 French Open.

    Since arriving in Rome from Melbourne on Tuesday, Sinner has met with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. He will be received by President Sergio Mattarella on Thursday with the Italian team that won the 2023 Davis Cup.

    The demands on his time mean that the world No.4 has withdrawn from next week’s Marseille tournament although he has passed on an invitation to the prestigious Sanremo Italian Song Festival in early February.

    “After my stay here, Australia’s over, we’ll have to look ahead and get back to training,” he said.

    “The aim (of this season) was to get slightly better results in the Grand Slams than last year when I reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon.

    “The first Grand Slam of the year (Australia) went well but there are still three more, so the season doesn’t end here.

    “My dream has always been to win a Grand Slam. Now I know what it means and the emotions it brings. I can’t wait to get back to work and try to feel that again.”

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    Having beaten Novak Djokovic in Melbourne as well as Medvedev, Sinner now has his sights set on becoming the best player in the world, although he recognises that may take some time yet.

    “To be No.1 in the world? There’s a big difference between being in the top five and being in the top three,” he said. “It’s the same between being top three and world No.1. You have to take things one step at a time.

    “I’m aware that I still need to improve my physical condition, my strength and my endurance.

    “In terms of tennis, I can do everything a little better, particularly on my serve. There’s still work to be done.”

    Sinner is expected to return to the court in Rotterdam in mid-February, with eyes already set on the year’s second major at Roland Garros.

  • Australian open: champion Sinner wants tennis’ next generation

    Australian open: champion Sinner wants tennis’ next generation

    Jannik Sinner was not about to announce the end of the “Big Three” after his breakthrough Grand Slam triumph at the Australian Open but the 22-year-old Italian does believe tennis needs a fresh generation of champions.

    His five-set victory over Daniil Medvedev on Sunday made him the first Melbourne Park winner in 10 years not named Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal or Roger Federer – the trio of multiple champions who have dominated tennis for two decades.

    Djokovic’s incredible success into his mid-thirties has delayed the decline of the “Big Three” but with Federer now retired and Nadal looking set to join him this year, a huge gap is opening up at the top of the game.

    With his Melbourne triumph, Sinner has joined 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in the Grand Slam winners’ club, spearheading a clutch of players of a similar age coming through.

    “It’s quite unpredictable what’s coming in the future but still it’s nice to be part of this generation,” Sinner said as he was photographed with his trophy in Melbourne’s Botanical Gardens on Monday.

    “I think the next generation is something that this sport needs and it’s also a little bit of a game-changer.”

    Sinner was the youngest Australian Open men’s champion since Djokovic won the first of his 10 Melbourne Park titles in 2008 and even though he beat the 24-times Grand Slam champion in the semi-finals, the Italian was not inviting comparisons.

    “He is a different league,” he said. “I’m just happy I have this trophy for this year and then we see what’s coming. There is still a lot of work to do but I will enjoy my process and then we see what I can achieve in the future.”

    As impressive as the clean hitting that has taken Sinner into the elite of men’s tennis was his cool demeanour on court on Sunday as he withstood an early barrage from Medvedev before rallying from two sets down to clinch the title.

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    Although he fell to the Rod Laver Arena court after converting championship point, there was no huge outpouring of emotions as Sinner celebrated the biggest victory of his career.

    “There were so many emotions in my head and the hard work and the sacrifices I’ve done throughout my career,” he explained.

    “Sharing this moment with my team was maybe the best feeling I’ve had until now.

    “It’s great emotions, I was just happy, yesterday I still maybe couldn’t believe and now I’m starting to realise it, so it’s a great feeling.”

    Sinner said he celebrated his dream start to the new season in understated fashion – a meal with his close-knit team in the early hours of Monday morning – but said it would be straight back to work as he looked to build on his breakthrough.

    “Obviously winning the tournament is something unbelievable,” he said. “I’m really happy how I performed here and let’s see what’s coming in the future.”