Jannik Sinner is still only 22 but he strolls in with the serene conviction of a grand slam winner who seems far older than he looks. He is also as friendly as he is serious in a mix that suits the fact that Sinner is an Italian who grew up speaking German and now models for Gucci while sometimes being cheered on by a quirky group of fans who dress like carrots and call themselves the Carota Boys. The carrots honour Sinner’s red hair and the fading memory that he once ate the humble vegetable during a match in Vienna.
It makes sense to meet Sinner at Roland Garros for it was here, a year ago, that a surprise defeat changed his erratic mentality and set him on a new path of clarity. Sinner’s uncluttered purpose since then has meant he has beaten Novak Djokovic in three out of their past four matches, lift the Davis Cup for Italy, win the Australian Open in January and rise to No 2 in the world.
But we start with the painful loss that unfolded over five hours and 26 minutes against the unheralded Daniel Altmaier in the second round of last year’s French Open. Altmaier exposed psychological flaws that shocked Sinner into the changes that have transformed him.
“I’m always trying to learn from my losses and that was a tough one,” he says. “My mindset was not great and I promised myself this attitude won’t happen again. It was time to try my best with a smile. There is pressure, obviously, but pressure is a privilege.”
Sinner shrugs wryly as he recalls a tumultuous match he led by two sets to one before being unhinged by frustration. “There were too many ups and downs, emotionally. It can happen – you play one set good, one set bad – especially on clay. But I was not happy on court and without reason. My team said: ‘Why do you have this attitude?’ They were right and I’ve always believed that if you want to improve you have to accept what you’ve done wrong.”
