Jannik Sinner at the French Open: a virtuoso with huge potential
When Jannik Sinner opened the door to the French Open quarter-finals on Sunday afternoon, he almost casually noticed the success against Alexander Zverev.
by Jörg Allmeroth
last edit: Oct 06, 2020, 09:20 am
Briefly he raised his arms, allowed himself a shy smile, then the subject of celebrations was done again. Sinner, the 19-year-old South Tyrolean from the Puster Valley, is really not a type for grand gestures or superfluous show elements. Sinner would rather let the racket speak for itself, the instrument that he masters both efficiently and virtuously. And with which he is causing more and more sensation in the traveling circus of tennis artists.
On Tuesday, when he is allowed to face serial winner Rafael Nadal for a duel in the last eight on the Paris Center Court, all eyes will be on super talent Sinner. To a guy who stormed forward into the extended world elite last year, won the junior world championship in Milan as a wild card participant - and then, like so many in the tour business, was slowed down by the corona standstill. But now, at the French Open in autumn 2020, Sinner is back at work in full glory. The win against Zverev was a masterpiece, even if the German visibly suffered from a cold and could not reach his full potential. “The most important thing was: I stayed calm and focused. I always want to exude a certain calm, ”says Sinner.
Sinner: skiers, footballers - tennis players
In fact, this inner balance, an equilibrium and serenity in all vicissitudes, is one of the most formative traits of the likeable upstart from the mountains. Sinner's coolness is by no means taken for granted, after all, the teenager has been traded as a future superstar and future number one in the industry for two or three years. "How he deals with these expectations, how he performs on the pitch, is simply remarkable," says former world number one Jim Courier.
Sinner's career did not follow the typical paths, for a long time it was even unclear whether he would ever commit himself to tennis. At the age of eight, Sinner was the Italian champion in giant slalom, and during this time he was also passionate about football. But then he decided to play tennis “because I wanted and had to make my decisions all by myself. And because the one-on-one duel fascinated me more. "
Piatti, the master trainer, initially didn't want to accept Sinner into his academy in Liguria because the young fellow had nothing to show for titles or other merits. Then he did audition, also on the recommendation of the former professional Claudio Pistolesi - and was immediately an academy student. “If I had turned him down, it would have been the mistake of my life. Nobody has been as advanced at his age as he is now, ”says Piatti. Piatti quickly arranged sparring partner arrangements for his top student, not least with industry leader Djokovic. In the training center, Sinner quickly got his nickname away - he was called the “Red Baron” because of the color of his hair.
Sinner like Federer? "Just talk"
Sinner now also impresses on the largest tennis stages with his callousness and simple elegance in his appearance. He makes no unnecessary movements, no step too many or too little. There is no theatrics, no somewhat eccentric behavior. Everything is fluid, clean, clear. Against Zverev, as in almost all of his games, Sinner immediately took the attacking position, as if it were a law of nature. Even if Sinner puts aggressiveness into the strokes, when he courageously moves forward on the net, the power always follows the primacy of precision. Quite a few in the industry compare him to Roger Federer, he himself shakes his head and says: "That's just talk."
Sinner has often trained with Nadal, the clay court king. Coach Piatti had arranged the meeting so that his protégé could feel the intensity and passion of the legendary Spaniard up close. The teenager and the twelve-time French Open champion have never faced each other in competition. Sinner doesn't want to show any respect, he wants to play fearlessly. But he is also aware of one thing: “Rafa is the measure of all things in Paris. Nothing is more difficult than hitting him here on sand. "