By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday, October 13, 2024
Tennis is not about what happens to you, on or off the court, he says Jannik the Sinner. It really matters how you react to what happens to you. No one knows that better than the world No. 1 in 2024. He has soared to incredible heights this season, winning two championships and seven titles overall after triumphing over Novak Djokovic in Shanghai on Sunday, but he has also faced tough challenges that threatened to throw the 23-year-old dynamo on his tail.
Faced with doping charges stemming from two positive tests for the performance-enhancing substance clostebol, Sinner had to work to clear his name. He did so and broke the news of his controversy to the world just before this year’s US Open.
In the wake of such a bomb it would have been normal for Sinner to crumble under the pressure, but he rose instead, capturing his second major title at Flushing Meadows.
But the controversy that won’t stop has continued to follow Sinner. After news broke that WADA – the World Anti-Doping Agency – is appealing his case and targeting a 1-2 year ban, Sinner still breaks away and continues his winning ways.
How has Sinner, who improved to 65-6 on the season this weekend in Shanghai, and locked up the ATP No. 1 ranking for good measure, fared?
Endurance, both mental and physical.
“I feel physically I’m ready to play for a longer time at the highest possible level,” he said. “Also mentally, I’m ready to accept any difficult situation on the field and I think this is the biggest step I’ve taken forward,” said Sinner.
“We just try to stay as calm as possible, and even continue to work hard. It doesn’t really matter if you have a good week or a bad week, just try to improve every day, whenever you can, try new things, try to see new things… and try to be good enough mature enough to understand what’s working… I feel like that’s made a big impact for me this year, and hopefully it’ll help me for next year as well.”
Despite the glittering success he’s had this season, Sinner admits the circumstances of his doping case have taken a toll. Joy is not what he would like it to be.
“I know this year has been very, very difficult for me because of other circumstances, and at times I lost my smile a little bit because I had some issues off the field, and then they are still in my mind sometimes,” he. said. “It’s never easy to play in these kinds of circumstances that I’m in.”
Sinner says he can’t help but think about his current dilemma, but also takes solace in some of the lessons learned in 2024. Lesson No. 1? No matter what happens in the future, he won’t let success change him.
“I have moments when I think about it, which is not comfortable and not the best part,” he said. “So yeah, you take success in a different way, and I think that’s what I learned is that success will never change me as a person, or as a player either.”
