Jannik Sinner: ‘I want to become world no.1, but before…’

Jannik Sinner is the youngest player in the top 100 of the ATP rankings. The young Italian has rapidly risen up the rankings since turning pro in 2018. He is currently 95^th after beginning the year at number 551. His progress has captured the attention of the tennis world as many view him as the next great Italian player after Matteo Berrettini.

Jannik dreams of the No. 1 ranking

The 18-year-old has expressed confidence in his abilities and believes he can be the best player in the world. In a recent interview, Jannik revealed that he dreamt of arriving at the number one ranking in the near future. However, he acknowledged that the reality is different now and he has a long way to go before he reaches his goal. He admitted that he will have to improve on facets of his game such as his serve and forehand if he is to become the best player in the world. The Italian is ready to put in the hard work and is not afraid to put himself out there and declare his goals.

Coach Piatti’s influence

Part of the reason for the Italian’s confidence is the team he has around him. Jannik has been working with Riccardo Piatti throughout his career. He started training at the Piatti Tennis Academy at a young age. The coach has worked with several successful players such as Novak Djokovic. He has expressed his confidence in Jannik’s talents and has not shied away from calling his protégé a future Grand Slam champion. The 18-year-old says that the belief his coach has in him makes him confident he can achieve his goals. He said, “I know that the potential exists and Riccardo Piatti believes, he has seen and trained so many champions.” However, he will have to commit to improving at every tournament.

Jannik is currently in action at the Next Gen Finals in Milan. He is through to the semifinals of the tournament after winning his first two matches. The 18-year-old won his first match against Francis Tiafoe who was a favorite to win the tournament. He then dismissed Mikael Ymer in straight sets in a match that lasted 56 minutes. Jannik was dominant from the beginning of the match and won 4-0 4-2 4-1 to become the first player to qualify for the semifinals. He has become a fan favorite at the tournament as fans turn up to support the homegrown player.

Jannik Sinner’s ranking and performance in 2019

Ranked no.95, Jannik played his last match on the 7^th of November when he had to surrender to Ugo Humbert 4-3⁵ 3-4³ 4-2 4-2 in the R in Milan.

This year Sinner has a 40-20 win-loss record. Jannik has won 2 titles in 2019 in the Bergamo Challenger and in the Lexington Challenger. The Italian was the finalist in the Ostrava Challenger.