"I'd be mad, why he gotta call her choke out like that" - Fans joke about Jannik Sinner 'embarrassing' girlfriend Anna Kalinskaya after Halle triumph
Jannik Sinner emerged victorious at the 2024 Terra Wortmann Open in Halle. In his victory speech, the young Italian gave a shoutout to his girlfriend, Anna Kalinskaya, in a way that did not sit well with tennis fans.
Jannik Sinner kicked off his grass-court swing at the 2024 Terra Wortmann Open as the top seed. He was given a tough run by every opponent on the courts of Halle and required three sets to oust Tallon Griekspoor, Fabian Marozsan, and Jan-Lennard Struff in the opening rounds. In the semifinals, he defeated Zhizhen Zhang in straight sets.
Sinner faced fifth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz in the title contest on June 23. The Italian came on top after edging past the Pole in two tiebreakers and won the title 6-7 (8), 7-6 (2). In his victory speech, Jannik Sinner gave a special mention to Anna Kalinskaya, a WTA tennis star from Russia, whom he started dating after the 2024 French Open.
Sinner spoke about Kalinskaya's runner-up finish at the 2024 ecotrans Ladies Open in Berlin, which was also played on June 23. The Italian congratulated the Russian for a memorable campaign and mentioned how she lost the final after failing to convert multiple championship points.
"My girlfriend Anna, she played in Berlin today. She lost with six match points, so, I am very sorry for her. But, she also had an amazing week," Sinner said.
Tennis fans were unsettled by Sinner's mention of Kalinskaya squandering championship points, with many saying they'd be angry if their partners did the same. Some fans also joked that Kalinskaya would be icy towards Sinner over the speech.
"Naaah id be so mad why he gotta call her choke out like that," a fan joked.
"Omg if someone announced my mp chokes like that id be mad af," a fan exclaimed.
"She's not talking to him tonight," another fan quipped.
"Its getting so private now," a fan said.
Other fans questioned Sinner's choice to mention Kalinskaya's match in the way he did and thought he should have just congratulated his girlfriend after her disappointing loss.
"Is this not an incredibly awkward thing to say at your own trophy ceremony..?" a fan asked.
"Why would he even say this about the mps in front of a whole other crowd i’m crying," another fan wrote.
"LMAO he didn’t have to call out her choke like that. Just congratulate her on making the final," a fan tweeted.
"He really said "Sorry you lost with 6 MPs Anna but I'm built different," a fan commented.
Jannik Sinner to next play at Wimbledon Championships 2024 as the top seed
In addition to it being his maiden grass-court title, the Terra Wortmann Open was Jannik Sinner's first triumph on the ATP Tour since becoming World No. 1. This triumph will be a huge boost of confidence for the Italian as he heads into the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, his first Grand Slam as the top seed.
Sinner will be defending 720 ranking points at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships after a semifinal run last year. He was seeded No. 8 at the SW19 last year and defeated Juan Martin Cerundolo, Diego Schwartzman, Quentin Halys, Daniel Elahi Galan, and Roman Safiullin before losing to Novak Djokovic in the semifinal.
This year, Jannik Sinner is in great form and looks set to match, if not better, his record in London. He won his maiden Grand Slam title in Melbourne earlier this year and has lifted trophies at the ATP 500 ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, the Masters 1000 Miami Open, and now the ATP 500 Terra Wortmann Open in Halle.