Following his victory at the Australian Open, Jannik Sinner, 22, is still getting used to life as a Grand Slam winner. However, he has set his sights on the pinnacle of men’s tennis and is adamant about achieving it.
After defeating the top-seeded Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, the world number four came back from a two-set deficit at Rod Laver Arena to defeat Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 U.S. Open winner, 3-6 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-3 to win his first major last month.
Last season, Sinner also triumphed against Djokovic in the Davis Cup semifinals and the ATP Finals group stage. His consistent development positions him as a potential world number one.
“Let’s see, I don’t like to talk about ranking. I just try to be happy on court and improve as a player,” Sinner told the ATP ahead of the Rotterdam Open, where he plays Botic van de Zandschulp in his opener on Tuesday.
“That’s the only thing I can control. I’m happy that I’m number four at the moment. For sure my dream is to become number one in the world and I will work as hard as I possibly can.”
Sinner hailed the support of his family after lifting the Melbourne Park trophy but said he was yet to see his parents amid the added attention that has followed his success.
“It was strange for me and even more strange for them,” Sinner said. “I’m going to see them after this tournament. I’m going to my parents’ place.
“We call each other and there are some journalists outside the house. It has changed a little bit for sure. But I’m still the same person I was before Australia and my parents, they’re the same.”
