“Jannik Sinner's demeanor was so adult-like" - Andrea Petkovic shares amusing anecdote about discovering Italian when he was just 17
Former German tennis player Andrea Petkovic recently shared an anecdote about discovering Jannik Sinner when he was just 17 years old. Sinner recently secured his third Grand Slam title at the 2025 Australian Open by defeating Alexander Zverev in the final.
Sinner was the top seed at the Melbourne Major and he registered a 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 win over second seeded, Zverev in the final to defend his title and claim the 2025 Melbourne Major.
Following the conclusion of the Australian Open, while reflecting on the tournament, Petkovic shared an amusing story about discovering Jannik Sinner as a teenager.
Petkovic recalled witnessing a match in Rome where she saw a then-teenager Lorenzo Musetti playing in a tournament that the Italian tennis federation had put in place.
“Let me tell you an anecdote of how I like to pride myself in having discovered Jannik Sinner. Once upon a time, I was in Rome where it was said an Italian teenager with a one-handed backhand was competing for a wildcard into the maindraw in some sort of play-off the Italian tennis federation had put in place. It was Lorenzo Musetti who had just won the boys’ title at the Australian Open," Andrea Petkovic wrote on Substack
The German revealed that the player Musetti was playing against was "red-haired," "scrawny, pale, freckled," and someone who caught her attention. She revealed that she initially mistook Sinner for a "28-year-old veteran," and later discovered that he was actually a 17-year-old.
“The other guy was a scrawny little fella, pale and freckled, red hair poking out underneath his hat. I was quite far away and while his body seemed that of a boy from where I sat, his groundstrokes were so powerful and his demeanor so adult-like that I figured it must be some 28-year-old veteran who happened to have the appearance of a youngster," she continued.
“Exactly a week later, I walked into the players’ lounge looking for my coach who I found in a large group of people gathered around a TV. I can still hear the gasp that came out of my mouth when I learned that the red-haired “veteran” was actually 17 and on the verge of becoming one of the biggest stars of the sport," Andrea Petkovic wrote.
Petkovic noted that even at 17, Sinner displayed "stoicism, maturity, and powerful groundstrokes" that have contributed to his success in winning three Grand Slam titles.
“The roots of his game were already there: the stoicism, the maturity, the groundstrokes. But he’s built a team around him, brick by brick, piece by piece, that helped him become a now 3-time Grand Slam tournament champion. He is still kind of scrawny, he is still very pale for a tennis player and he is still stoic. But he is now Jannik Sinner," she added.
A look into how Jannik Sinner won the 2025 Australian Open
![Jannik Sinner with the 2025 Australian Open trophy [Image Source: Getty Images]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/01/a1e74-17380076731747-1920.jpg?w=500)
Jannik Sinner entered the 2025 Australian Open without participating in any preparatory tournaments, with his most recent competition being, representing Italy at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals.
This year, Sinner was the defending champion at the Melbourne Major, having claimed the title in 2024 by defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final. The Italian was the top seed this year and he kicked off his campaign with a hard-fought victory over Nicolas Jarry, winning 7-6(2), 7-6(5), 6-1 in the first round. He then overcame Australian wild card Tristan Schoolkate in the second round, securing a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 win.
The World No.1 triumphed over Marcos Giron 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 and 13th seed Holger Rune 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the third and fourth rounds, respectively. Sinner then defeated Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 in the quarterfinals and 21st seed Ben Shelton 7-6(2), 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals to secure his spot in the final.
Alexander Zverev proved to be no match to Sinner in the marquee clash.