"For now, I am number 4, the first objective is to move forward in small steps" - Jannik Sinner plays down World No. 1 goal
Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner recently stated that he was keeping his feet grounded as he eyes incremental growth in his career.
The 22-year-old made history at Melbourne Park last week, recovering from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev in the final to make his Major breakthrough. The title made Sinner only the second Italian man in the Open Era - and third overall - to win a Grand Slam singles title.
It also made the World No. 4 only the second man - Rafael Nadal (2022) being the first - to overhaul a two-set deficit to win an Australian Open final. Despite the triumph, Sinner remains World No. 4, but he has closed down the gap on the top-three.
As per the latest ATP rankings, the Italian (8310) trails third-placed Medvedev (8765) by less than 500 points, while Novak Djokovic (9855) - whom Sinner beat in the semis - and Carlos Alcaraz (9255) are ahead.
Following his arrival in his native Italy, Sinner visited the Coloseum in Rome for a press briefing and also spoke about his World No. 1 ambitions (translated from Italian).
"It's the first time I've entered the Colosseum, how exciting...," he said.
The Italian provided a candid take on the race for No. 1, stating that he wanted to move one step at a time.
"There are many differences between the top 5 in the world, the top three and then number 1. For now, I am number 4. The first objective is to move forward in small steps. In the meantime, we are approaching position number 3,” he said.
Sinner is the third youngest male player to win the Australian Open after the tournament moved to its current venue 36 years ago.
Jannik Sinner receives grand welcome from Italian PM
Jannik Sinner is inarguably the toast of Italy for a reason. His triumph at the Australian Open was the first by an Italian male since Adriano Panatta won Roland Garros in 1976.
Following his successful fortnight in Australia, the 22-year-old received a rousing welcome from Italian PM Georgia Meloni on Wednesday, January 31. As per the Hindustan Times, the duo posed for photos with the Australian Open trophy.
The pair also watched a replay of Sinner's championship point, which he converted before sinking to the ground in jubilation. Meloni later took to social media to recap the Italian's visit (as translated from Italian).
"The Italy we like: capable of believing in itself and reacting to difficult challenges. And to win. Thank you for the example you set, Jannik, to sports lovers, to our young people and to all of Italy," she wrote on X.
Jannik Sinner joins Panatta and Nicola Pietrangeli as the only Italian men to hoist aloft a Grand Slam singles trophy.