Jannik Sinner: "My dream has always been to win a Slam, now that I've done it we're working to feel that feeling again"
Jannik Sinner realized his dream of winning a Grand Slam by crowning himself as the 2024 Australian Open champion. Now, he is all about rediscovering the feeling of what it took to win a Grand Slam in the first place.
Sinner, going into the year's first Major as the 4th seed, wasn't the top favorite considering his past achievements at the Grand Slam level. However, after his comprehensive win over defending champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, the vibe around him started to change.
In the final, Sinner got off to the worst possible start as Daniil Medvedev ran riot and convincingly won the first two sets. However, towards the end of the second set, Sinner showed glimpses of everything that had got him to the final in the first place.
Ultimately, he asserted his superiority over the fatigued Medvedev, who had spent 20+ hours on the court and looked increasingly jaded as the match went on. By the end of the pulsating final, Sinner had the last laugh as he won the last 3 sets 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.
During a recent press conference with the Federazione Italiana Tennis e Padel, Sinner laid bare his feelings after his monumental maiden Grand Slam triumph. He was quoted as saying (quotes translated from Italian):
"My dream has always been to win a Slam, now that I've done it we're working to feel that feeling again."
Sinner continued talking about his next steps, saying that he was aiming to keep doing the things that had worked for him in the past.
"Now I want to get back on the field and work, because that's what led me to do what I did. Let's try to take small steps forward, that's the goal."
What's next for the new king of the Rod Laver Arena, Jannik Sinner?
Soon after Sinner's Australian Open triumph, he withdrew from Marseille's Open 13 Provence event. The Italian was scheduled to play the ATP 250 event, but owing to his withdrawal, Australian Open semifinalist Alexander Zverev was contacted by the organizers to replace him.
While Sinner's next on-court appearance is yet to be confirmed, he is provisionally on the entry list for the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam. In a couple of months, however, he'll be looking to turn his attention to the French Open.
Sinner had a disappointing French Open campaign in 2023 as he surprisingly collapsed in the second round against Germany's Daniel Altmaier. This year though, the Italian's Australian Open heroics could motivate him to do better on the red clay of Roland Garros.