Six months ago, at Wimbledon 2023, Jannik Sinner simply wasn’t ready. As the Italian reached his first Grand Slam semifinal against Novak Djokovic, Sinner failed to perform at his best under pressure. One of the most memorable aspects of the Italian’s three-set defeat on Centre Court was his repeated errors in the third-set tie-break.
Even for exceptional players who develop early and quickly rise to the top, success is a long process. For Sinner, his development has been clear and easy to follow: He restructured his team, hired Simone Vagnozzi and renowned Australian coach Darren Cahill, changed his serve, and began to embrace the biggest moments instead of retreating into himself.
Sinner has had his fair share of tough defeats, but he has dealt with them with a positive attitude and maturity that makes it seem like he is well on his way to becoming a Grand Slam champion.
By the end of last year, it was clear that Sinner was on his way to greater success. He finished the season on a high note, winning two ATP 500 titles, reaching the ATP Finals and then leading Italy to the Davis Cup. On the way to the Davis Cup, Sinner scored an impressive victory over Djokovic, and it was hard not to think of the Serb. Djokovic began his period of world tennis dominance in 2011, and the Serb started it all with a historic Davis Cup victory in late 2010.
At the start of 2024, the only question remaining around Sinner is whether he is ready to perform at his best in five sets and overcome the difficulties that come with this format.
Yesterday, Sinner had the perfect answer with his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, defeating Daniil Medvedev 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3. Sinner was defeated in the first two sets by an experienced opponent, making defeat increasingly obvious, but the 22-year-old did not panic, he remained calm and waited for the opportunity to turn the match around.
"I like dancing in the storm of pressure," Sinner said after the final. "Personally, I like pressure, because that's where I usually perform at my best. I'm quite comfortable in this tournament because I always try to enjoy every moment on the court. Honestly, I think pressure is a privilege."
Between his devastating strokes and his strong mentality, Sinner has shown great growth in all conditions. Now that Sinner has reached the highest level of tennis, he has all the necessary qualities to continue winning major prizes. Sinner has shown that he is ready to fight on all fronts. At 22, he has reached at least the quarterfinals of all four Grand Slams.
Shortly after Sinner hit the final forehand to seal the 2024 Australian Open final, Carlos Alcaraz was one of the first players to publicly congratulate the Italian. Seven years after the ATP’s Next Gen project began – when the tennis world realised that its dependence on the Big 3 was ending and sought to find the next generation of superstars to follow in their footsteps – the results are starting to emerge.
As the ATP begins to look for new talent, Djokovic and Nadal continue to crush the dreams of young players. However, the Big 3 has gradually weakened, now only Djokovic remains at the top, Alcaraz and Sinner have affirmed themselves as the leaders of the new generation. Both possess their own destructive weapons, fighting spirit and confidence, but also full of business sense and humility to reap success.
Alcaraz and Sinner both won their first Grand Slam titles playing with freedom and ease. It is increasingly clear that, barring injury, they will be the focus of tennis for years to come and will have many more fights for the biggest titles.
It hurts to lose a Grand Slam final. For Medvedev, the pain was doubled as he became the first player to lose a Grand Slam final twice after leading by two sets. The Russian has only won one title in six Grand Slam finals (1-5).
Still, Medvedev remains the only player of his generation to win a major and establish himself at the top of the game. He has built an incredible career in recent years, but his success reflects the huge hype his contemporaries receive.
Despite some painful defeats Medvedev has suffered, his effort and hard work after some of the toughest times of his career has always been impressive. There is no doubt that the Russian will bounce back from his loss to Sinner to challenge either the Big 3 or the Next Gen.
"I don't know what's going to happen next," Medvedev said. "I'll keep the mentality that I'm going to the next big tournament and try to win it, and then there are other tournaments. If I play, it's a battle to win, otherwise I'll stay home with my family."
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