“I have a lot to do until I reach the top” – Sinner’s hunger and work ethic undiminished after Australian Open win

Just four days after the 22-year-old became the first Italian to win an Australian Open singles title, beating Daniil Medvedev in the final, Sinner is already planning for the next goal

Jannik Sinner, Australian Open trophy, 2024

Jannik Sinner talks to Italian press after winning the 2024 Australian Open Zuma / Panoramic

Jamie Malachy

February 1, 2024

If there is one thing that defines Jannik Sinner‘s key to success, it is his calm, methodical approach to achieving a list of set goals through consistent hard work.

This was exemplified beautifully in the 22-year-old’s press conference with Italian media on landing back in his native homeland, where Sinner was once again the epitome of level-headed maturity as he calmly laid out his following moves.

Just four days after becoming the first Italian to win the Australian Open, Sinner is already looking towards achieving the next goal, and thinking carefully about how best to get there.

The answer, as it has been throughout his young career thus far, is to knuckle down and work hard on the areas he feels need improvement to reduce that ever-closing gap between himself and the very summit of the world rankings.

There have always been milestones to tick off for Sinner, and winning the title in Melbourne last month has done nothing to change that.

world no 1 push next on the list for jannik sinner

The next big goal for the young Italian to achieve is becoming world No 1.

Perhaps even more significantly, though, is that Sinner’s hunger remains undiminished even in the aftermath of accomplishing a lifelong dream.

“When things are going well you always want more,” Sinner told Italian press.

“My thing has always been to win a Grand Slam, and now that I have achieved it I want to experience again what it feels like to achieve it.”

A concern for those who win their maiden major title is how they will remotivate themselves to go again and fight to win another. This, in essence, is what separates the very greatest players with those who achieve great things but cannot consistently replicate them.

It appears that, for Jannik, there needn’t be any cause for concern in this area.

Indeed, the current world No 4 is already looking towards getting back to the hard work as he plots his route from fourth to first in the ATP rankings.

Jannik Sinner beats Daniil Medvedev to lift his maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open

“The best thing I can do is train hard again soon,” he continued.

“There is a big difference between being top five and then moving to the top three, and even more until reaching No 1.

“I am now fourth in the ranking, so I have a lot to do until I reach the top.”

After what will have no doubt been a whirlwind few days for the 22-year-old – meeting the Italian Prime Minister, being on the front cover of every national newspaper in Italy and being the focal point of the entire tennis world – it is greatly refreshing and somewhat reassuring to hear this grounded young man speak as calmly and clearly as he always has done.

Sinner’s great strength was always that he was unassuming – a diligent hard worker determined to get everything he could out of the considerable tools at his disposal.

Those attributes appear unchanged. Both professionally and personally, this is already another great win for the young Italian in a life and career that is sure to be full of them.