Jannik Sinner Embraces Hardship for Tennis Growth: “I Feel Very Lucky”

First seed Jannik Sinner will be locking horns with Alexei Popyrin in the second round of the US Open.

Jannik Sinner Embraces Hardship for Tennis Growth: “I Feel Very Lucky”

Jannik Sinner (Image via X/The Tennis Podcast)

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Jannik Sinner needed not much time to secure a spot in the second round of the US Open. He knocked out Vit Kopriva 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 on Tuesday (August 26), kick-starting his title defense in emphatic fashion.

Sinner, at the press conference later was asked what he found the hardest about being a tennis player, and also what surprises him the most about his career. The World No.1 thinks he feels lucky to be a tennis player and does not think the life of a tennis player is difficult; that hardship is an integral part of his career.

I don’t know. I feel like it should not be hard, you know. Because that’s what I love to do, and I like to travel. I like to play tennis, obviously. And I feel very lucky. So it should be not difficult. Of course, we have difficult moments when you start to lose some matches, when you lose matches, when you have match points. You know, everything. But at the end of the day, you have to accept and consider yourself as a lucky man, you know.

Sinner also pointed out that players are watched by millions of fans worldwide, and kids learn from them. And that is why he thinks proper conduct during matches is very important.

So yeah, I think there are many surprises behind the scenes, yes, which I don’t want to tell here in front of you, but there are positive and negative surprises, which is in every job. I guess it’s in your job too. And that’s it. But I do consider myself very lucky, and this life should not be difficult.

Jannik Sinner added

Sinner is aiming to clinch his third Grand Slam title of the season after his wins at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, where he beat Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz, respectively. These two are the only titles he has clinched so far this season.

But apart from these, he also made it to three more finals, losing all to Alcaraz, including at the French Open. Sinner arrived in New York after handing the walkover to the five-time Grand Slam champion in the final of the Cincinnati Masters due to illness.

Sinner could lose his No.1 ranking to the Spaniard if he doesn’t have a better campaign in New York. Alcaraz overcame big-serving Reilly Opelka in the first round to schedule the second round clash with Mattia Bellucci. The arch-rivals will only face each other if they progress to the final.

Jannik Sinner on areas he needs the most improvement

There were concerns regarding Jannik Sinner’s form because of the sickness he was dealing with. But at the press conference after his first-round win, he said the only thing that he found challenging was adapting to the conditions.

Jannik Sinner (2)
Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ)

I feel in very good physical shape, I have been able to train well in the last two days, and I am still trying to improve in all aspects of my game. I am trying to be more agile and quick in my movements to hit the ball better supported.

Sinner will be locking horns with a player against whom he trails 0-1 in the head-to-head matchups. It’s Australia’s Alexei Popyrin, who overcame Emil Ruusuvuori in straight sets in the previous round. The 36-year-old met Sinner in the third round of the 2021 Madrid Open, winning that match in straight sets.

Sinner is bidding to become the first man since Roger Federer (2008) to defend the US Open title. Last year in the tournament, he stopped Taylor Fritz from ending the American men’s Grand Slam drought with a straight-set win in the final.

Also read: Jannik Sinner Gives Hilarious Response to Carlos Alcaraz’s New Haircut at the US Open