“At 13-14 years old the results are not that important”

The Australian Open champion had a fast debut at the current edition of the tournament, his opponent, Hugo Gastonhaving to abandon after 68 minutes of play, at the score of 6-2, 6-1 in favor of the Italian. The reason: an injury in the abdominal area, for which he had requested medical intervention at the end of the first act.

“I saw that he wasn't serving very quickly, especially in the second set, but that's not the way you want to win a match,” Jannik said in the on-field interview.He is a very talented player, I knew I had to play at a very high level, be as aggressive as possible, which I did. So I'm very pleased to be back here“, he added.

In the second round, Sinner will meet the Australian James Duckworthbeneficiary of a wild card, who had a duel at the opposite pole: 4 hours and 21 minutes against the Croatian Dino Prismaticended up on the board as a lucky loser, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Asked afterwards what pleased him the most about his development, the world number 2 replied that it was difficult for him to choose just one thing. “It was, I think, the general feeling of competing again. I worked long days, long days, in the preseason to become a better player. In the end, though, it's all about going out on the field and enjoying yourself. It's something special to start the season in the evening session in a Grand Slam, with the stands full, trying to give it my all“, elaborated Jannik.

Jannik Sinner and his past as a skier

Jannik Sinner skiing with Lindsey Vonn in 2022 Photo: Instagram

Later, the conference discussion turned to skiing, the sport he practiced as a teenager and gave up in favor of tennis. It was recently revealed that in 2009, when he was 8 years old, he won a giant slalom race in front of Giovanni Franzoniwho on January 16 won the first World Cup race of his career, in the Lauberhorn Super-G.

Franzoni is five months older than Sinner, who admitted that he does not remember the race he won as a child, but that he is very happy for his compatriot. “It makes you realize how relative being good or not so good is when you're young, especially at 13 or 14, then the results themselves aren't that important“, Sinner explained.

“I don't know him personally, but he seems like a big-hearted person. I can tell from his interviews that he works very hard. I wish him well,” added the four-time Grand Slam champion.

Jannik Sinner: “There are phenomena like Federica Brignone, they have something extra”

On Federica Brignone (35 years old, double world champion, Olympic vice-champion) knows it, however, the valuable skier is also present at the Turin Tournament of Champions. She recently made a successful comeback from a tough injury, and Jannik was asked about coming back after a break and what her biggest challenge is.

Federica Brignone in action at Solden Photo: Imago Images

“What she experienced can only be explained by the person who went through it. We cannot compare this with what I experienced in the past; I've never had an injury that kept me out for so long“, he began.

“Skiing and tennis are two completely different sports, because if something happens during the ski season, you're on the hook for the whole season. In tennis, it's different: if something happens today, you can come back in two or three months, obviously, depending on the severity of the injuryJannik explained.

In tennis, the risk is much lower; in skiing, you also need courage to get back on the slope; you are at the starting gate and you have to launch – Jannik Sinner

“Regardless of what he's done or what he's doing, I wish him well in the Olympics because I know how much he's trained and how hard he's worked to get everything right. There are phenomena like her, like Sofia Goggia, who maybe had something happen to them before the competitions, but who have something extra“, concluded the former world leader.