"This 'woe-is-me' act is pathetic & insulting": Fans react to Jannik Sinner revealing he promised to quit tennis to ease his parents' financial burden

Fans called out Jannik Sinner for playing the victim card and discussing the humble background of his family, as well as how he considered quitting the sport had he not reached the top 200. Sinner will play Vit Kopriva in the opening round at the US Open.

The Italian has been ranked No. 1 since June 10, 2024, becoming the first Italian player to achieve the top spot in the ATP rankings. Sinner continues to make strides on the court, having won the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles in 2025. He will head to Flushing Meadows to defend his US Open title, following his withdrawal from the mixed doubles, citing health issues.

In a pre-match press conference, Sinner talked about his goals as a youngster when he only dreamt of being in the top 200 because his family couldn't have afforded world tours. He also added that attaining the top 100 honor satiated him, and the top rank feels overwhelming now.

"I was younger when I left home, but I said if I'm with 23 or 24 in around, not under the top 200, I would stop, you know, to play because we cannot afford it with the money what we have and it costs a lot of money to travel around the tournaments and if you have a coach or, you know, I was very lucky to, when I was already 18, that I started to earn my money and I felt already safe. When you're young, you just say a dream, you don't even believe it."

Fans were not pleased with how the Italian portrayed himself and called it an act to gain sympathy. An X user noted that Sinner has no war-torn country background but was blessed with the best trainers throughout.

"Comes from normal family in northern Italy. No war country. Got into one of bests tennis academies in Europe at young age and got to practice with best coaches physios and top players and sparring partners. Moving to Monte Carlo. I don’t see anything “special” they had to do for him."

Speaking in the same line, another user said that gifted players can always benefit from scholarships.

"There were kids who went to my private school who came from low socioeconomic statuses, but got a full ride scholarship because they were gifted in certain sports. Their families are still technically in the lower class. What’s the point you’re trying to make?"

Another fan highlighted that Sinner hails from a G7 country, and his way of victimizing himself was an insulting act.

"Italy is a G7 member country! This whole "woe-is-me" act is pathetic and insulting to all those who come from poorer and/or war-torn countries."

Calling Jannik Sinner fake, another fan wrote:

"Jannik Sinner is a fake all way along."

Here are some other reactions:

"Despite all that, he had to dope in order to achieve "success"," commented a fan.

"He was on a scholarship with piatti," tweeted a fan.

Jannik Sinner's Cincinnati Open campaign witnessed a heartbreaking fate

Jannik Sinner at the Cincinnati Open 2025 - Day 12 - (Source: Getty)

Jannik Sinner was on a stellar run in Cincinnati, fresh off his victorious Wimbledon stint, winning his first major title on the surface. He was the top-seeded at Cincinnati, a favorite to defend his title from 2024.

In the championship match against his biggest rival, Carlos Alcaraz, the 24-year-old just played five games before retiring. He trailed the Spaniard 5-0, and the latter was announced the winner by decision.

About the author

Agnijeeta is a US Olympics journalist at Sportskeeda. She holds a Master’s degree in English and has worked as a school teacher, a blogger, a content writer and a sports writer over the past 5 years. A lover of high-adrenaline track and field events, she was also a sprinter during her school days.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone happens to be her favorite Olympian, and the athlete’s feat of breaking four records within 13 months inspires her, apart from the American's body language on and off the track. Grant Hackett swimming with a partially dysfunctional lung and winning gold in Athens is her all-time favorite Olympic moment.

Agnijeeta believes that deriving of unique angles from podcasts and interviews carried out by Olympics.com, along with hype-building of potential Olympic events on social media can help fill the coverage gap during the off season.

When not at her work desk, Agnijeeta likes to sing and paint. She also plays string instruments like guitar and ukulele and is an avid player of word puzzles.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua