Jannik Sinner Opens up on his Decision to Play Tennis After a Promise Made to his Parents

Jannik Sinner will kick start his US Open title defense against Czech Republic's Vit Kopriva.

Jannik Sinner Opens up on his Decision to Play Tennis After a Promise Made to his Parents

Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ)

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Jannik Sinner has revealed that he once faced uncertainty during his formative years as his parents couldn’t afford to pay for expenses in the sport. The World No.1 shared the interesting revelation at the US Open presser ahead of his title defense as he hopes to win his fifth Grand Slam and third of the 2025 season.

The Italian star made a famous decision to walk away from a possible career as a professional skier to try his luck in tennis. His career path then became challenging as the sport demanded more money. Sinner was not among the standout players during his years in the Juniors and didn’t see much potential in the future.

He revealed during the pre-US Open press conference that he told his mother that if he wasn’t in the top 200 at 23, he was going to quit the sport. But, he turned out to be lucky in the end as he began earning as a teenager in the sport:

I told my parents when I left home that if I wasn’t in the top 200 at 23 or 24, I would quit, because we couldn’t afford it with the money we had. Traveling to tournaments costs a lot. If you have a coach, it’s even more so. I was very lucky because I started earning money at 18, and that’s when I felt more confident . When you’re young, you just talk about a dream. You don’t even really believe it.

He added that despite the challenges early in his career he still had his dream of being World No.1 and winning Grand Slams. Having won four major titles in his career at 24, he now understands his potential in the sport:

Sometimes I said, ‘I want to become world No 1, or win a Grand Slam’. But those were just dreams. The position I’m in today was way beyond my dreams . Now it’s different. Now I understand my potential.

Sinner claimed his first Grand Slam at the 2024 Australian Open after beating Daniil Medvedev in five sets. He had to wait for nearly eight months to win his second at the US Open that same year. He then defended the Australian Open title in January after beating Alexander Zverev in straight sets.

The World No.1 then claimed his fourth Slam at the Wimbledon Championships just a month after coming close to winning the French Open. He came from a set down to beat his arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz in four sets in the final.

Jannik Sinner relishes another potential final with Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open

Jannik Sinner will be in action at the 2025 US Open singles event, which kicks off on August 24 (Sunday). The Italian is the favorite to win it but his rival Carlos Alcaraz is also a strong contender. Alcaraz leads their head-to-head record 9-5 on tour and has won six of their last seven meetings.

Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz
Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz (Image vIa X/Jannik Sinner HQ, Carlos Alcaraz 4K)

The duo is projected to face each other in the final of the US Open, which will make it their third consecutive major final meeting. During the aforementioned press conference, Sinner revealed that despite their rivalry they are two different players with different court specialties:

We’re two different players. He’s obviously very fast on the court. With other players, the point could sometimes be over, but he gets to certain balls and therefore reads the game differently. Now we know each other better. It’s a very tactical game. We have different styles, both in terms of our play and our attitudes on and off the court.

Sinner will kick off his US Open account against Vit Kopriva in New York, while Alcaraz will play Reilly Opelka. The Italian star is seeking to become the first men’s player since Roger Federer from 2004-2008 to defend the US Open crown.

Also Read: Daniil Medvedev Believes the US Open is His Best Chance of Winning Another Grand Slam