Jannik Sinner, the rising star of Italian tennis, has shed light on his decision to pursue tennis over skiing, citing the sport’s allowance for mistakes as a key factor. In a recent interview, Sinner shared his journey from skiing prodigy to tennis sensation, emphasizing the flexibility tennis offers in overcoming setbacks.
“I was winning a lot when I was young in skiing, and in tennis I never won. And then slowly I started to lose in skiing, because physically I was not ready to compete. I was always quite skinny and everything,” Sinner explained, illustrating the challenges he faced in both sports.
Sinner’s reflection on his athletic journey highlights the physical demands and competitive nature of skiing, where a single mistake can spell defeat. In contrast, he recognized tennis as a sport where resilience and adaptability are rewarded.
“The reason why I chose tennis was, in tennis you can make mistakes. You can lose points but you can still win the match. In skiing, if you make one mistake, one big mistake, you cannot win,” Sinner elaborated.
Jannik Sinner says he chose tennis over skiing because in tennis, you can make mistakes & still win the match:
“I was winning a lot when I was young in skiing, and in tennis I never won. And then slowly I started to lose in skiing, because physically I was not ready to compete.… pic.twitter.com/NpWDOuEYrj
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) April 4, 2024
His words underscore the strategic and mental aspects of tennis, where players have the opportunity to recover from errors and turn the tide of a match in their favor. This flexibility appealed to Sinner, who found solace in the notion that a match’s outcome wasn’t determined by a single misstep.
Jannik Sinner in 2024
At the moment ranked no.2 (career-high), the Italian played his last match on the 31st of March when he beat world no.9 Grigor Dimitrov 6-3 6-1 in the final in Miami to win his 14th career title.
Currently, during this season the Italian has achieved an overall 22-1 record. The Italian clinched 3 titles in 2024 at the Australian Open, Rotterdam and Miami.
Sinner is scheduled to compete next in Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters (Monte–Carlo). He will start the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 7th of April.
Jannik Sinner |
Embed from Getty Images |