Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – The hood is still there, as is the shambling gait. Four years ago, he said that off the court, "the noise is dying down, in fact, it no longer exists." This summer, the noise came from within: a knee, the right one, said no. No Canada, no Cincinnati, no New York, no Asia, no ATP Finals in Turin.
His last Grand Slam win was on July 12th, on the grass at Wimbledon. Then came silence, interrupted by a few videos on social media, a few words, always the same: I'm not ready. This interview was a long game that began in August and ended in October when he announced his retirement. He will return, he announced yesterday, on December 27th in Riyadh for the Six Kings Slam.
Sinner, what remains of a summer spent watching tennis away from the net? "I didn't do anything unusual," Jannik Sinner told 'Repubblica'. If the question is what new things I've discovered in this time away from tournaments, the answer is nothing, but without getting bored. I went to Monza to watch the F1 race and to Milan to the Gucci fashion show, I played a bit more on the PlayStation, and I started reading a 600-page book, 'Io uccido', by Giorgio Faletti.
I've never stopped, nor have I turned my back on tennis because it hurt me. In fact, I've always worked hard, both in the gym and on the court, and with the physiotherapists. Patience is the right word for this period. Your body is the only opponent you can't beat. When it tells you to stop, you have to accept it and follow the advice of the specialists."
But isn't it just that this kind of tennis is too physical? "Injuries are part of the sport, you have to be smart and understand how much and when to play. You need to have a long-term vision; today isn't the only thing, you sow now, but the harvest comes later. And the difference is always made by hard work, by your preparation, not by luck. That helps you win a point, not the match." If you could meet Jannik 10 years ago, what would you say to him? “What I've learned: talent without work is nothing. You have to make choices, weigh the consequences, and pursue your goal. I'd tell him to live those moments well. I have no regrets. I wouldn't advise him to change his path, but to choose the people he surrounds himself with carefully. I don't regret it. My family has always been there for me. I could count on a dad who was also good in the kitchen.” And on a mother who's reluctant to attend matches. “She's improved a lot; she doesn't come out during my matches anymore. Her refusal to sit in the Royal Box at Wimbledon is because she doesn't want to be watched and scrutinized by the cameras when I play. She's not entirely wrong; she doesn't like the tension, even if she's more relaxed now.”
What does tennis say about us better or differently than other sports? Why is it so contemporary? "I don't know why; you should ask those who watch it, not those who play it. Maybe it allows diversity to exist, it values it, rivalry is born from difference, we win and we lose, everyone finds their own reason to identify with those who are like them or who they would like to be. And that's what makes it fascinating." But the world wants Sinner-Alcaraz back on the court. He's not looking for anything else. "We're not all the same; contrasts excite. Maybe I'm seen as the disciplined and stubborn champion and Carlos as the Mediterranean and extravagant one. That's the beautiful thing, having someone who pushes you to the limit. And tennis has always lived on this: from Borg-McEnroe to Sampras-Agassi until the rivalry became a three-way rivalry with Federer-Nadal-Djokovic." Sports heroes are more fashionable than actors. Once upon a time, we dreamed with movies, today you are at the fashion shows. "But it's not a competition, nor are we in opposition. The world of American basketball has long been attentive to fashion, and its players, off the court, are keen to show their personality, even through their clothing. No one is replacing anyone; I think it's just a question of different platforms and new players."
Before her, no one would enter the arena with a designer bag. Now they imitate her. "I feel a connection with Gucci. I like to be a little different with normal, beautiful, elegant things. Just as I like to be comfortable, and this brand allows me to do that. I'm not a loud person, I'm also teetotal, I can't stand the taste of alcohol, at most I'll have a little champagne or white wine." What if you could erase a day of your life? “It wouldn't be a sporting moment, nor the defeat in the final against Alcaraz in Paris 2025, nor in the semifinal against Djokovic in Melbourne at the beginning of the year.” No match points? “It wasn't something that happened on the court.” Courage. “I'd like to erase what I felt the day I left home. The heartbreak of saying goodbye to my father in Milan at 13 and a half years old because our paths were separating and a thread was snapping. We were parting ways, I was crying over the breakup, but so was he. I could do without that day; it was too much of an emotion.” Something that made me lose my balance? “Maybe it helped me find it, even though I suffered. It made me understand that making a choice means gaining new things and losing others. There may be pain, but also the awareness that that costly decision shouldn't be wasted. You have to do everything you can to serve it as best you can, without regrets. With commitment, perseverance, and work.”
And a moment you'd like to relive? "The purity of a winter Sunday with my friends skiing in the Dolomites. The feeling of a beautiful day doing something you enjoy. I'd also include any time with my family or one karting with Giovinazzi and Ciccone. I like speed, it's no secret. I need the adrenaline, to keep boredom at bay." Does happiness have a smell? "I could say that of a dessert because I love sweets." You're 25. If you could choose what age you'd be today, would you change? "I cherish everything: the people, the experiences, the encounters I've had." You have time for your autobiography now. "I'm not even thinking about it. I know that Serena Williams, Sharapova, Agassi, McEnroe, Nadal, and Borg have written it. But I'm still young, I prefer punches to words, maybe we'll talk about it again in 20 years. I want to last, have a long career. Now I had to stop and raise my head above the lines, but I want to bring it back down to the ball. I know there's more out there, but mine is there. In that rectangle called tennis."
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