Nitto ATP Finals
A sinner ready to roll with the home support in Turin
World No. 1 begins the Nitto ATP Finals campaign on Sunday against De Minaur
November 07, 2024
Diego Puletto/Getty Images
Jannik Sinner at Thursday’s press day at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.
Written by Andy West
Absence only made the heart grow fonder of Jannik Sinner.
The Italian prepares to compete on home soil for the first time in 12 months this week at the Nitto ATP Finals. A year ago, Sinner enjoyed an incredible run in the championship game in Turin, roared on by his passionate home fans. He returns as No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings after an incredible 2024 season, where one of his few disappointments was missing his home ATP Masters 1000 event in Rome due to injury.
“There are many positive things [this tournament] special,” Sinner told ATP Media on Thursday in Turin. “First, being Italian and playing in Italy. I haven’t played in Italy this year, because I missed Rome. That was really hard, but I am very happy and very happy to be here.
“[My season] rated highly. I would not have thought to win so many things this year. Many things have happened. When I think about how it all started in Australia… For me, it’s always about trying to improve as a player, as a person, as a person. I am even more proud and happy with how I am progressing. I hope that next year will be this development program as well.”
The sinner loves speed ⚡️😅
The name ‘The Flash’ @janniksin hero in the city!#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/nPygLPGm8f
– ATP Tour (@atptour) November 7, 2024
With Sinner already winning 65 titles and seven majors on Tour in 2024, including his two major titles at the Australian Open and the US Open, expectations for the 23-year-old in Turin will be high. However, while other players are finding it difficult to compete with the home support, the good-hitting Sinner is confident that he can help him qualify for Ilie Nastase’s squad which includes Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur.
“The atmosphere is amazing,” he said. “It is very different from other competitions because you can lose but you still win this competition so there are different situations. I’m very happy to be back here and hopefully I can show some good tennis.”
A sense of excitement was in the air when Sinner raced to the final at the Inalpi Arena last year. It epitomized Italy’s recent tennis boom, and Sinner’s rise to World No. 1 is likely to boost the spirits of the home fans ahead of their heroic 2024 Nitto ATP Finals campaign.
“Definitely [my success] have an impact [on the way Italians see tennis]but we must not forget something else,” said Sinner. “It started from what I saw with my own eyes: [Fabio] Fognini wins Monte-Carlo, [Matteo] Berrettini won many tournaments and reached the Wimbledon final. Then everything started to grow slowly, and I came.
“Now, we have a lot of good players. [Lorenzo] Musetti had an amazing season, [but also] [Flavio] Cobolli, [Matteo] Arnaldi again [Luciano] Darderi. So, we have many players. And twice, with Simone [Bolelli] and Andrea [Vavassori]and on the women’s side. Tennis is growing a lot in Italy and I am very happy that I am part of this and I can help it grow, especially if more kids start playing.”
Sinner will begin group stage play at the Inalpi Arena on Sunday evening, where he will face Nitto ATP Finals Alex de Minaur. He leads the Australians 7-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
“Alex is a bit different as a player. He is a strong, fast mover [with] good idea,” said Sinner. “You have to win every point one way or another. He won’t give it to you, so you have to take it. The way he works, he deserves to be in this position.
“He will not hold back, he will continue to develop as a player, and it is great to see him here. The first time is always very special. You see something new, you feel a little pressure because it’s the first time. So, let’s see what’s coming.”
After losing his first tour-level matches against Medvedev, Sinner made a big change in the Lexus ATP Head2Head doubles series, which now stands at 7-7. Meanwhile, the Italian player stunned 2-1 against Fritz, whom he defeated in the US Open final in September.
“[Medvedev] “He had an amazing career, winning a lot of championships,” Sinner said. “He has a good attitude on the court, he moves very well. He changes his style of play quite a bit so he is very dangerous to play. He was one of my key points in my development as a player, because I struggled a lot to beat him. Now, the whole game is really open, you never know what will happen. He is a strong competitor.
“Taylor Fritz, I may know a little, because we haven’t met that much. But he is an amazing server, he hits the ball very powerfully. He has improved a lot in the last two years, serving and returning very well. He’s a very good player, and he’s had an amazing season.”
