Jannik Sinner, the 22-year-old Italian who excelled in skiing during his childhood as a promising talent but ultimately chose tennis as his sport, won the 2024 Australian Open title. In the winner’s ceremony, the young star expressed gratitude to his parents for giving him the freedom to choose his sport.
Sinner secured his first Grand Slam by overcoming a two-set deficit in the final against Daniil Medvedev, resulting in a memorable match ending 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in Sinner’s favor. On his way to victory, he also defeated the 10-times Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, ending the Serbian’s 33-match winning streak in Melbourne.
Jannik Sinner’s father reacts to AO victory tribute
Johann Sinner, the father of the current world No. 4, acknowledged that he was surprised by his son’s words during the award ceremony and shared his emotions in response to Jannik’s heartfelt tribute:
“He was like that, already good at all sports as he is good at his job. Was I surprised by his words, those words about us? That’s the way he is, he learned early on about work culture, commitment, and humility,” Johann Sinner said.
During the award ceremony at Rod Laver Arena, the champion took the microphone to congratulate his opponent of the day, Daniil Medvedev, and wish him luck for the rest of the season. The Italian also expressed his gratitude to his team, especially acknowledging the support of his parents.
“I wish that everyone could have my parents because they always let me choose whatever I wanted to. Even when I was younger, I made also some other sports and then they never put pressure on me and I wish that this freedom is possible for as many young kids as possible. So thank you so much for my parents,” Sinner claimed.