Jannik Sinner

[Kamileki]

[Rroggerr]

[Damian]

Sinner Sets Medvedev Clash In Marseille

Spoiler:

Italian wins six of final seven points in tournament opener
Jannik Sinner made a winning start to his debut Open 13 Provence campaign on Tuesday, beating Norbert Gombos 6-4, 7-6(5) in Marseille.
The reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion, who trailed the second-set tie-break 1/4, saved all six break points he faced throughout the two-hour, three-minute encounter. Sinner is competing at a career-high No. 68 in the FedEx ATP Rankings this week. At last week’s ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, the Italian recorded his maiden Top 10 victory against David Goffin to reach his first ATP 500 quarter-final.

ATP Tour
✔
@atptour
That is RIDICULOUS @janniksin

Just how have you done that?!

: @TennisTV | @Open13
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Sinner will face top seed Daniil Medvedev in the second round. Medvedev is making his second appearance in the main draw this year. The World No. 5 advanced to the quarter-finals on his tournament debut in 2017.
In the first match on Court Central, Hubert Hurkacz needed just 64 minutes to move past French wild card Antoine Hoang 6-4, 6-1. The eighth seed dropped just two points behind his first serve (22/24) to book a second-round clash against Vasek Pospisil. The Montpellier runner-up saved five of six break points to beat Emil Ruusuvuori of Finland 7-6(6), 6-3.
Two-time finalist Marin Cilic recovered from a set down to overcome Ilya Ivashka 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-4. The former World No. 3 will meet fourth seed Denis Shapovalov in the second round. Cilic and Shapovalov are tied at 1-1 in their ATP Head2Head series.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/khachan ... 20-tuesday

[Kamileki]

[Kamileki]

[Kamileki]

[Del Fed]

Sinner: 'I Want That Feeling More And More']

Spoiler:

Italian star in safe hands with veteran coach Piatti

In the immediate aftermath, there was disbelief. Jannik Sinner was lost for words and Riccardo Piatti planted a kiss on his protégé's head, before his phone started buzzing at the conclusion of the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals. Sinner, who had been unranked 21 months earlier and had attended the innovative 21-and-under tournament as a spectator in 2017, had little time to celebrate as he was committed to play at the Sparkasse Challenger in Ortisei, a short distance from his childhood home. But the triumph over Alex de Minaur in the Milan final left a distinct impression, with Sinner telling ATPTour.com, “I was happy and excited that I’d held up under pressure in front of a home crowd in Milan, but in another way, I realised I wanted that feeling more and more.”

Piatti, who’d celebrated his 61st birthday a day earlier, had raised a glass to celebrate in the locker room, but the Italian was also looking to the future. “Jannik’s mentality is like the sport; he loves the sport,” Piatti told ATPTour.com. “I like my job and have done it for 40 years. He is the same, he loves his sport, and he wants to be better, improve and he is doing everything for that. He is watching a lot of matches, practising a lot, and not because he is obligated to do so. Because he knows what he wants. It’s very easy to dedicate your life for one or two years, but I’ve been trying to tell Jannik he needs to dedicate his life to the sport for 15 years.”

The following week in Ortisei, 6'2" Sinner captured his third ATP Challenger Tour crown of 2019 (also Bergamo and Lexington), ending a season that had seen his rise from No. 551 to a year-end No. 78 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. “I was always searching for a higher level, wondering if I was good enough to beat guys at different levels: [ITF] Futures, Challenger and most recently, the ATP Tour,” says Sinner, who in 2019, became the youngest player in the year-end Top 80 since 17-year-old Rafael Nadal finished 2003 at No. 47.

“I was in good shape and felt well on the court, but it became less about confidence and more about executing my game plan: what I wanted to do, rather than be dictated to," says Sinner. "A crowd can give you energy, which is very important for a player, then it’s down to staying calm and not being nervous. Winning the Bergamo title [the Trofeo Perrel - Faip] early in 2019, having twisted my ankle the year before, was certainly a trigger to improve again, and once I beat Gael Monfils [at the European Open] at Antwerp in October, I knew how far I could go.”
The former junior skiing champion hailing from San Candido, in northern Italy close to the Austrian border, decided upon tennis — forgoing football, alpine pursuits and being with friends — to move as a 13-year-old to join Piatti at his academy in Bordighera. Sinner’s parents, Johann, a chef in a chalet in Val Pusteria, and his mother, Singlinde, instilled the need for an education and to work hard from an early age, so their son's initial trips to Piatti, prior to deciding to move to the tennis centre full-time in late September 2014, were well-considered.

“I never doubted myself about being a good tennis player, as I am a hard worker, but I was skinnier and smaller than I am now,” says Sinner, who initially lived with coach Luka Cvjetkovic, who had two sons the same age. “I was fast and came to the net, but I needed confidence to find my level. In tennis you can win matches or a tournament, and you can also lose three or four first rounds in a row, so the decision to play at higher levels than my age was a big decision. I certainly went down the tougher route, but it helped build the expectation and pressure that I put on myself. You feel you need to win this match, or this exact point and you overdo it, but you have to understand the outcome and it’s a learning process every day.”

Piatti’s decision to thrust right-hander Sinner into competition with older opponents was vindicated. “He was working a lot and not dreaming,” says Piatti, reflecting on his early impressions of Sinner. “He went to some tournaments, losing 6-1, 6-0, but came back a day later to the Academy and trained the next day with the same attitude. He wanted to become good and kept going. We started with Futures and Challengers. He surprised himself about his level. When he started to beat a higher-ranked player, he understood his level and it was not a surprise anymore. When he won Bergamo, the first thing I told him was, ‘Very good, but the level of the other player was not as good. Don’t be surprised you won the Challenger, you’re better than the other, but now we need to find better players.’ It was always about playing older opponents. When he was 15/16, I also put him in a prize money tournament against older players in order to see if he could find solutions. I wanted to show him older players don’t give a s*** about him.”

Claudio Pistolesi, the 1985 junior World No. 1, who early in his own career was coached by Piatti, believes Sinner is on the right path. “He is very complete: physically, technically and mentally,” the Florida-based Pistolesi told ATPTour.com. “He was not only a skier, but, like Lorenzo Sonego, who played football until the age of 14, he has broken all the rules that you follow from an academy perspective, having done another sport to a good level. He brings some lateral skills to tennis from skiing in his movement around the tennis court, and he steps into the ball automatically.

“The Academy and Piatti can protect Jannik from the mistakes of the past over Italian player development. There is tutoring and mentoring, which Piatti is a good at, as well as using his network to prepare Jannik for training and the very highest level possible. It’s right that at present Jannik prioritises his own career, his team.”
The 18-year-old Sinner has developed terrific speed off both forehand and backhand — something Roger Federer picked up on last year — and is quick to move up the court, taking time away from his rivals. Piatti, who first noticed the potential when he watched a 12-year-old Sinner, recalls, “I was in Milan at a tournament and I saw him lose 6-1, 6-2, but he was the only player who tried to change his game. He had the attitude to win, not just put the ball over the net and hope. You could tell he was calm and could control his mind, he struck the ball nicely, but he didn’t have the power.

"His personality is now strong and, unlike many players I’ve coached, I can speak to him openly 30 minutes after a loss, rather than wait until the next day. I can speak with him for six hours about tennis and he loves it. He doesn’t get distracted and prefers to watch Nadal-Federer matches let’s say, than go to the cinema.”

Sinner is currently working on his fitness in Monaco, such are the concerns over the Coronavirus pandemic in Italy, where the number of confirmed cases has risen beyond 35,000. “He came back from the United States last Friday and he has since trained once in the morning and once in the afternoon,” says Piatti, who worked with Djokovic when the future World No. 1 was aged 17 and 18. “The Monte-Carlo Country Club, venue of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, is closed, but if the numbers stabilise and confirmed cases drop, we’ll return to Italy and the Academy. There won’t be any on-court tennis for another week or 10 days. We don’t know when the tournaments will begin, so as to step up our efforts in one area or another.

“A doctor has followed him and we expect him to grow a little bit more, around another four centimetres. He needs to play and work, but we need to find the right balance in not pushing him too much. When he’ll be 22, 23, he’ll be ready to compete in the bigger tournaments.”

Sinner is now learning that to win big — as Djokovic, Nadal and Federer have done for so many years — is complicated. “The focus is about consistency of performance, of application every day, and improving every shot, because in matches an opponent won’t let you always play your best stroke and you cannot play at the same speed,” says Sinner, who has practised with Stan Wawrinka, whom he lost to in his first ATP Tour semi-final at Antwerp in October 2019, David Goffin and Grigor Dimitrov in the past as a way to gauge his level. “Piatti knows that I’m attentive and demand a lot of myself, but I do work hard.

"He asks for patience, so I need to be patient.”

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/sinner- ... ature-2020

[Lucas]

Sinner Opens Up To Fans In Instagram Q&A

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/sinner- ... march-2020

[Damian]

Sinner Sets Pizza Challenge To Raise Funds For Italian Medical Supplies

Spoiler:

#NextGenATP Italian gets creative to fight global pandemic

Since the global outbreak of COVID-19, many of us now have far more time on our hands to cook from home. And now, following reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion Jannik Sinner’s Instagram announcement, we can use that time to help fight the spread of the virus.


The Italian shared the news on Wednesday that he will donate €10 alongside his management company Starwing Sports for every photo he receives of a pizza that resembles himself or any past or present Italian figure. The money raised will be used to fund vital medical supplies in Italy during the pandemic.

Upload a photo of your pizza lookalike on Instagram using #SinnerPizzaChallenge. You can also donate here

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/sinner- ... march-2020

[Damian]

Tenis. "Pizza Challenge". Jannik Sinner w oryginalny sposób zbiera fundusze na walkę z koronawirusem

Spoiler:

Jannik Sinner w nietypowy sposób włączył się do akcji zbierania funduszy na rzecz walki z pandemią koronawirusa. Włoski tenisista zorganizował "Pizza Challenge", a pieniądze przeznaczy na zakup środków medycznych w ojczyźnie.
Marcin Motyka
Marcin Motyka
28 Marca 2020, 09:40

Jannik Sinner
PAP/EPA / ROMAN PILIPEY / Na zdjęciu: Jannik Sinner



Koronawirus. Wielki gest hiszpańskich gwiazd. Pau Gasol i Rafael Nadal zbierają pieniądze na walkę z pandemią
Wiele znanych osobistości ze świata tenisa pomaga w walce z koronawirusem. Ogromne darowizny na rzecz potrzebujących przekazali m.in. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djoković czy Ana Ivanović. Teraz do tego grona dołączył Jannik Sinner.
Włoch robi to jednak w oryginalny sposób. Na swoim koncie na Instagramie poinformował, że rozpoczyna "Pizza Challenge". Akcja polega na tym, że za każde zdjęcie pizzy, której wygląd zdaniem Sinnera będzie przypominał jego samego bądź jakąś inną znaną włoską postać tenisista przekaże 10 euro na rzecz walki z pandemią. Pieniądze zostaną przeznaczone na zakup niezbędnego sprzętu medycznego we Włoszech.



18-letni Sinner to jeden z najbardziej obiecujących tenisistów młodego pokolenia. W listopadzie zeszłego roku triumfował w Next Gen ATP Finals, a w lutym odniósł pierwsze w karierze zwycięstwo nad rywalem z czołowej "10" rankingu ATP (w Rotterdamie pokonał wówczas 10. na świecie Davida Goffina) i awansował na 68. miejsce w klasyfikacji singlistów.

Włoch obecnie przebywa w Monte Carlo, gdzie trenuje i przygotowuje się do wznowienia rozgrywek. Tenisiści mają wrócić do rywalizacji 8 czerwca.

Jarosława Szwiedowa zakończyła kwarantannę. Kazaszka nie jest zarażona koronawirusem

https://sportowefakty.wp.pl/tenis/87632 ... e-na-walke

[Barty]

Sinner & Team Make Donation In Support Of Bergamo Coronavirus Battle

Spoiler:

Learn about how the 18-year-old is doing his part
#NextGenATP Italian sensation Jannik Sinner is doing his part in the battle against coronavirus. The 18-year-old announced on his social media that in conjunction with his management company, StarWing Sports, and coach, Riccardo Piatti, he is donating €12,500 to Cesvi, a humanitarian organisation, to aid with medical emergencies in Bergamo.

“The unity in Italy throughout this crisis has been incredible. Among many thousands of Italians that have helped through this crisis, I want to applaud the 250 volunteers who came together in Bergamo recently to build a Field Hospital in just eight days,” Sinner wrote. “This unity is what will get us through this period. I want to do my part, as much as I can, to contribute in pulling us out of this."


Jannik Sinner

janniksin
Forza #insiemecelafaremo #distantimauniti @RPiatti @StarWingSM

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Sinner is currently in Monte-Carlo, but he has been monitoring the situation in Italy closely.

“I urge you to help in any way you can to contribute in getting our great country out of this,” Sinner wrote. “I am proud to be Italian and proud of our unity. We will come out of this stronger. Stay safe ”

You May Also Like: Sinner Sets Pizza Challenge To Raise Funds For Italian Medical Supplies
The Italian previously announced he would donate €10 for every photo shared on social media of a pizza pie that resembled him or any Italian figure.

“Hopefully, the Coronavirus will go away as soon as possible,” Sinner wrote in a blog for ATPTour.com. “I know every country is doing their best to lockdown.”

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/sinner- ... april-2020

[Kamileki]

[Lucas]

Jannik Sinner's Blog: Pizza, PlayStation & Boredom Prevention During Lockdown

Spoiler:

Since flying back from Indian Wells a few weeks ago, I’ve been at my apartment in Monte-Carlo, unable to return to Italy, where the coronavirus pandemic isn’t very good. First of all, I’m trying to stay safe, but I’ve also started working hard on my fitness and conditioning. With the Tour suspension, there hasn’t been time yet to hit a ball. In the past six years, the longest period I didn’t hit a ball was when I damaged my ligaments and I was out for three weeks. Then, when I returned, I started slowly without moving a lot.

Right now, I’m waking up at nine o’clock, having breakfast, then at 10, I train for 90 minutes with my physical trainer Dragoljub Kladarin. Dalibor Sirola, who is in Croatia and can’t move either, sends Dragoljub programs. We first work on mobility and stability in the morning. I rest a bit, then at around 12:30, I eat something and rest some more. Around 3pm, I leave my apartment to go to my garage downstairs and I work for up to two hours on my strength. Once I finish for the day, I shower, play on my PlayStation — games such as Fifa and Fortnite — eat and sleep. It looks like I have to do this for three or four months now!

You may have seen how I’ve created the #SinnerPizzaChallenge, in response to the Coronavirus, on my social media. The response has been very good. I’d really like Roger, Rafa and Novak to make a pizza, but I know they have their own initiatives to focus on. The idea is to create my face or the face of an Italian on a pizza, then tag it #SinnerPizza or #SinnerPizzaChallenge. It would definitely be difficult to recreate my hair right now — it’s a bit long! The idea is to donate money to Bergamo, which is in a bad situation with many people dying. My own effort wasn’t very good, the pizza was too hard. Growing up, my Dad was the cook, so I learned some dishes from him. I like to make easy pasta, as it’s always nice to eat.

I left home aged 13 to move to Riccardo Piatti’s tennis centre, so I’m used to cooking, cleaning and washing my own clothes. It was tough, but I grew up quickly as a person. Initially, I lived with one of the centre’s coaches, Luka Cvjetkovic, who had a wife, two young children and a dog, because I really needed a family around me. Riccardo was very smart in thinking about me, so being with Luka’s family made me feel better. I now live alone in an apartment, so I have to handle everything. Normally, I call my family every two or three days, but now everyone is isolating, I call each evening. Thankfully, my parents and brother, Marc, are doing well.

Hopefully, the Coronavirus will go away as soon as possible. I know every country is doing their best to lockdown. I do get bored easily, because normally I am always on the move. When I was younger, I went out to play with friends, sports like football with my classmates. I think it’s important to play a lot of sports, before you decide. Today, all I can do is relax, work on my fitness and watch TV series.

Hearing the news of the grass swing and Wimbledon’s cancellation, Riccardo and my team — Dalibor, Andrea Volpini and physiotherapist Claudio Zimaglia — will need to draw up a plan, so to be ready once tournaments resume. Over the past 12 months, I’ve improved my forehand, but during this Tour suspension we still need to work on it, as well as my volley and serve.

One of the reasons for my rapid rise up the [FedEx ATP Rankings] has been due to playing older players, adults, as a junior. I remember losing in the Sharm El Sheikh first round and telling Riccardo to put me in Futures events from now on. There were many tough times and lots of first-round losses, but since getting my first points [in February 2018], it’s gone very fast. Last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals title was very nice for me, of course, but I didn’t party of anything. I went to a Challenger tournament near my home and searched for the feeling of victory again. I am just trying to grow and improve day-after-day.

Thankfully, I have an excellent team and during this Tour suspension, I’m going to keep working as hard as ever. I hope everyone can stay healthy and safe until the situation improves.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/jannik- ... april-2020

[Damian]

On This Day In 2019: Sinner Steps Into The Spotlight

Spoiler:

Flash back to Sinner's first ATP Tour win
One year ago this week, Jannik Sinner stepped into the spotlight.
Sinner was the No. 314 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings when he competed in the 2019 Hungarian Open. The teen lost in the final round of qualifying, which normally would have ended his tournament. But Budapest would serve as the launching pad of what was a rapid ascent for the Italian in 2019.
Sinner got into the main draw as a lucky loser, and he earned his first ATP Tour victory against Mate Valkusz, defeating the Hungarian 6-2, 0-6, 6-4. The 17-year-old crushed three consecutive forehands on match point to clinch his maiden moment, calmly walking to net, celebrating his triumph with a simple fist pump.
Tennis At Home | How ATP Players Make The Most Of Stay At Home
Sinner let slip a 3-0 lead in the decider, potentially showing nerves as he sought his first tour-level win. But the lucky loser showed calm and poise, which have proven key attributes since that moment.
The Monaco resident lost in the second round of the main draw in Budapest, as 2019 Rio de Janeiro champion Laslo Djere eliminated the phenom 6-3, 6-1. But Sinner announced himself in Hungary, and he hasn’t looked back since.
Sinner had already become the youngest Italian to win an ATP Challenger Tour title (Bergamo), and he maintained the momentum from his strong performance in Hungary. The Italian made the final of the Challenger event in Ostrava, and then won his first ATP Masters 1000 match by defeating veteran Steve Johnson at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. He lost in the second round against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

“I think it was very good to [learn] how the Top 10 players are mentally,” Sinner said. “I think they're pretty strong, especially with the serve. They're serving very good. But I think I have now a good idea how I have to play in three years.”
Sinner showed plenty of progress just months later. Last October in Antwerp, Sinner defeated then-World No. 13 Gael Monfils en route to the semi-finals, making him the youngest ATP Tour semi-finalist since 17-year-old Borna Coric at 2014 Basel.
Continuing to improve, Sinner stormed to the Next Gen ATP Finals title, including a straight-sets victory against Alex de Minaur in the championship match.
“I think I'm surprised, because it's been an unbelievable week. All the players are unbelievable players. If not, they [would] not [be] here,” Sinner said after beating De Minaur. “I was the No. 8 seed. I tried to have my chances, and of course today I'm very happy about my game.”

One year before his Budapest breakthrough, Sinner was World No. 1,479. As recently as 5 February 2018, he didn't own a FedEx ATP Ranking.
But the Italian finished 2019 as the youngest player in the Top 300, aged 18, ranked a career-high World No. 78. That made him the youngest player in the year-end Top 80 since 17-year-old Rafael Nadal finished 2003 at World No. 47.
“I just try to play week after week better. That's my goal. And then obviously if I play better, the [FedEx ATP] Ranking will be better, for sure,” Sinner said after winning his first Grand Slam main draw match at this year’s Australian Open. “I'm not thinking so much about the Ranking. We are just trying to make match after match good, trying to play better, and then we will see. I don't want to rush this.”

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/on-this ... st-atp-win

[DUN I LOVE]

@no-handed backhand, myślisz, że Sinner będzie kiedyś grał tak jak poniższa muzyka Sinners?

[no-handed backhand]

Jak najbardziej. Będzie dostarczał emocji i pięknej gry. Zastanawiam się też, czy Saint będzie podobnie grał w tenisa jak Saints?

[Barty]

Five Things To Know About Jannik Sinner

Spoiler:

Learn about the Italian’s skiing background, COVID-19 relief efforts and more

Jannik Sinner is the reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion and the youngest Top 100 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

ATPTour.com looks at five things you should know about the 18-year-old.

1) He Stunned The Field At The 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals
Heading into the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, Italian players owned a 0-6 record at the innovative 21-and-under event. But Jannik Sinner, competing as the Italian wild card, stormed through the draw to take the trophy.

Sinner topped Group B with a 2-1 record, beating Frances Tiafoe and Mikael Ymer to advance to the semi-finals. From there, the 6’2” right-hander powered past Miomir Kecmanovic in four sets and top seed Alex de Minaur in straight sets to take the title in front of a passionate home crowd at the Allianz Cloud.

“I'm surprised because it's been an unbelievable week,” said Sinner in Milan. “All the players are unbelievable players. If not, they are not here. I was the [lowest-ranked] one. I was the [eighth] seed. So I tried to have my chances and, of course, today I'm very happy about my game.”


2) He Is A Former Junior Skiing Champion
Five years ago, Sinner's focus was on skiing rather than tennis. The Italian, who did not touch a racquet for a year at the age of seven, was playing just two days per week before moving to Riccardo Piatti’s academy in Bordighera as a 13-year-old.

“When I went on court just two times in a week, I really enjoyed it. I just tried to enjoy and it was fun. It was just fun,” said Sinner. “But now it’s a little bit more than fun. Now it’s fun, but you want to go a little bit further and I think that makes this very important.”

Claudio Pistolesi, the 1985 junior World No. 1, recently shared his opinion with ATPTour.com on Sinner's unconventional route to the ATP Tour and the benefits his skiing background has on his game.

“Like Lorenzo Sonego, who played football until the age of 14, he has broken all the rules that you follow from an academy perspective, having done another sport to a good level,” said Pistolesi. “He brings some lateral skills to tennis from skiing in his movement around the tennis court, and he steps into the ball automatically."

3) He Owns The Heaviest Backhand On The ATP Tour
In a recent Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of players who competed in a minimum of 10 ATP matches on Hawk-Eye courts from 2018-2020, Sinner’s backhand was identified as a peak performer in both categories measured.

In terms of spin, no player on the ATP Tour hits their backhand with more spin than Sinner’s 1858 rpm. The 18-year-old also owns the fifth-fasted backhand, with an average speed of 69.1 mph.

Sinner Next Gen ATP Finals 2019

4) He’s Raising Funds For COVID-19 Relief
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sinner has found multiple ways to support Italian efforts in the fight against the virus.

Alongside his management company, StarWing Sports, and Piatti, Sinner donated €12,500 to Cesvi, a humanitarian organisation. The donation will be used to help with medical emergencies in Bergamo.

“The unity in Italy throughout this crisis has been incredible. Among many thousands of Italians that have helped through this crisis, I want to applaud the 250 volunteers who came together in Bergamo recently to build a Field Hospital in just eight days,” wrote Sinner on Twitter. “This unity is what will get us through this period. I want to do my part, as much as I can, to contribute in pulling us out of this."

Sinner also created the #SinnerPizzaChallenge, where he will donate €10 alongside his management company for every photo he receives of a pizza that resembles himself or any past or present Italian figure. The money raised from the challenge will be used to fund vital medical supplies in Italy during the pandemic.


5) He Supports AC Milan
Sinner is a supporter of Italian football club, AC Milan. Ahead of his title run at last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals, the Italian was able to attend one of the club’s matches at their home ground: the San Siro stadium.

“My best friend is a Milan fan, so we watched a little bit of football and now I am a Milan fan,” said Sinner.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/five-th ... nik-sinner

[Damian]

Khachanov & Sinner Reveal Their Toughest Opponents

Spoiler:

Who is the most difficult opponent on the ATP Tour?

The answer is different depending on whom you ask. Some players are uncomfortable facing powerful opponents, while others don’t like competing against someone with an unorthodox game.

In an Instagram Live session Thursday sponsored by Lavazza, Jannik Sinner and Karen Khachanov revealed that their toughest opponents have very different games.

“For me the most difficult one was Medvedev,” Sinner said, leading Khachanov to crack a massive smile.

“Daniil, my friend!” the Russian exclaimed.

Watch Live

Sinner played Medvedev in February at the Open 13 Provence in Marseille. The Italian raced through the first set, but Medvedev flipped the script for a 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory.

“[My match against Medvedev] was so strange. I won the first set easily, and then he changed something. I didn’t understand what it was, and the other two sets went so fast,” Sinner said. “He has such a strange ball, especially with his backhand, which is basically coming with backspin.

"I left the court [after the match] and I said, ‘Okay, I didn’t understand anything from the match.’”

Khachanov is six years older than Sinner. He has much more experience than the rising Italian, and he was happy to give the teen some advice: those tough matches happen.

“There are some players that you feel uncomfortable playing,” Khachanov said. “Sometimes in some matches, something quickly turns and then you don’t understand how you lost.”

You May Also Like: Nadal Survives Khachanov Onslaught In 3R Epic
Khachanov said his toughest opponent is Rafael Nadal, against whom he owns an 0-7 ATP Head2Head record. Their most memorable meeting came at the 2018 US Open, where Nadal needed four sets to beat Khachanov after four hours and 23 minutes.

“The past four matches were really close, a good level. I remember I was just a few points away from winning,” Khachanov said. “But for me, that’s why it makes it so difficult to beat him, because he’s always there. Somehow in the last moment… he turns around the situation.

“Even if you [are] leading, he’s a guy who can come back and still get the win."

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/khachan ... -june-2020

[Damian]

How Sacrifice Led To Success For Sinner

Spoiler:

#NextGenATP reflects on his journey to the ATP Tour
When Jannik Sinner was seven, he didn’t touch his racquet for a year. But the Italian’s father, Johann, didn’t want him to give up the sport.

“My dad came and said, ‘Let’s try once more,’” Sinner recalled on ATP Uncovered presented by Peugeot. “From that point, I really enjoyed it.”

Sinner has since become one of the hottest #NextGenATP stars. The 18-year-old, now a Monte-Carlo resident, won the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals, becoming the first Italian to capture that title. It was an impressive accomplishment for a player who didn’t fully focus on the sport until he was 13.

“In my part [of Italy] the first sport is of course skiing and I skied more than tennis,” Sinner said. “I [also] played football.”


Things changed for Sinner at 13 when he visited the academy of renowned coach Riccardo Piatti, who had worked with stars including Ivan Ljubicic, Richard Gasquet and Novak Djokovic.

“It wasn’t easy in the beginning of course leaving all my friends. I had many good friends in my hometown. I had to leave one or basically two sports — skiing and football — and then of course my family, which was not easy,” Sinner said. “But it was my decision and I’m still enjoying playing tennis. That was the point why I left my home. Now I’m really happy that I made that decision.”

Sinner remembers the attention the coaches at Piatti’s academy gave him from his early days training there. That made an impact on Sinner, whom Piatti still coaches today.

“I remember he was watching me and I saw that he was very excited to watch me play and there were many coaches there who saw me. They said, ‘Okay, this is a good kid. He can play good tennis,’” Sinner remembered. “This helped me a little bit with the decision and then of course with Riccardo, especially now, he’s always on the court with me when I’m there… I’m very appreciative.”

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Sinner has climbed as high as No. 68 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. The Italian is the youngest player in the Top 100. Nineteen-year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime is the only other teen in that elite group.

Perhaps what’s most important to Sinner after his results is how he carries himself. The 18-year-old wants to set a good example for kids.

“[It’s important to] be a very nice guy on court and off court,” Sinner said. “That’s the most important part for me.”

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/sinner- ... -july-2020

[Damian]