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Jannik Sinner recently opened up about how taking up skiing in his junior days shaped him mentally. He also compared the risks involved in skiing to those in tennis.
Recently crowned Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner is currently gearing up to compete in Rotterdam, which is his first tournament since his maiden Grand Slam victory.
Ahead of his campaign, the Italian opened up about his work ethic, growing up in northern Italy, and the new-found fame in his home country. Sinner also touched upon his days as a top junior skier. He suggested that the sport helped him master on-court sliding in tennis.
"It brings me a little bit of balance, maybe, or when you slide because of the balance," Jannik Sinner said in his interview for NOS Sports.
The 22-year-old credited the Alpine sport for his mental growth as well.
"But I think the biggest thing was mentally. Mentally, in skiing, especially when you do downhill – I did couple of races downhill," he added.
Sinner also noted that he was a specialist in slalom skiing, which necessitates sharp movements with quick turns. He, however, hinted that he won’t be taking up Alpine skiing as a sport again, as he admitted to being “scared” of hurting himself.
"I would never do it again because... I’m scared. I was a specialist in slalom and giant slalom but downhill, when you know that if you make a mistake that you can hurt yourself – it’s tough," he confessed.
Sinner attributed his fearlessness in tennis to the fact that the risks involved in the racquet sport are lesser than those in skiing.
"In tennis, nothing can really happen. Also when you have break points sometimes, I like to go for it. Because you cannot hurt yourself," he said.
While Sinner may have closed the door on a potential career in skiing, the Grand Slam champion often practices the sport recreationally during his time away from tennis.
Jannik Sinner in pursuit of a 12th career title at ATP Rotterdam 2024
On the tennis front, Jannik Sinner is vying for a 12th career title, and a fourth in the ATP 500 category at the ongoing ATP Rotterdam.
The World No. 4, who was the runner-up in last year’s edition, is the top seed in 2024 after defending champion Daniil Medvedev withdrew from the event. The World No. 3 cited fatigue after his Australian Open final loss to Sinner as the reason for his no-show.
With the Russian’s absence, Jannik Sinner now stands a chance to earn a new career-high ranking of World No. 3 if he is to win the ATP Rotterdam title. The Italian will face home favorite Botic van de Zandschulp in the opening round on Wednesday, February 14.
