Italian tennis sensation Jannik Sinner has officially ascended to the top of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) world rankings, becoming the first Italian to achieve this feat since the rankings were established in 1973. The 22-year-old’s rise to World No. 1 was confirmed on Monday, marking a significant milestone in his burgeoning career.
Expressing his elation, Sinner said, “I was happy, and then it’s kind of a relief. This is a dream, what I’ve dreamed of when I was a little kid. It was only a dream that day, and now that I can say that I’m World Number One, it means a lot to me.” Despite the momentous achievement, Sinner is already setting his sights on the challenges ahead.
With Wimbledon on the horizon, Sinner is focused on preparation rather than celebration. “I am in the middle of the season. There are very important tournaments coming up—there is Wimbledon. It’s a great achievement, which I am going to celebrate with my loved ones, for sure, at some point. Obviously very happy; it’s a dream come true. But in other ways, now new challenges are coming up,” he explained.
Sinner will enter the All England Club as the top-seeded player when the prestigious tournament begins on July 1. Acknowledging that his new status may affect how opponents approach matches against him, he remarked, “They don’t have nothing to lose anymore against me, and I have everything to lose, but this is the exciting part. And I like that… You have to work on having new solutions on the court, and this is going to be hopefully my next step. Trying to prepare myself in a way of being more unpredictable on court. This is what I want to learn in the next months.”
After securing his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January, Sinner has maintained impressive form with a 33-3 record in 2024 and three tournament victories. Reflecting on his journey, he said, “In the beginning of the year, we said, ‘We are going hunting, and then we’ll see what we can catch.’ And this now is still the same. Every tournament is a great opportunity to show something new and to show, also, the will to win as much as we can. But you don’t forget, also, the process. If you want to become a better tennis player, sometimes you have to miss. Sometimes you have to lose.”
Sinner’s determination and forward-thinking mindset signal a promising future for the young star as he prepares to take on the world’s best at Wimbledon, aiming to further cement his place at the pinnacle of tennis.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
