Three-time Wimbledon winner Boris Becker honored Italian tennis star <a href="https://www.archysport.com/2022/01/australian-open-the-path-of-the-italians-sinner-with-tsitsipas/" title="Australian Open, the path of the Italians: Sinner with Tsitsipas”>Jannik Sinner for his debut as world number one at the end of the year. The 23-year-old Sinner replaced the Serbian record Grand Slam tournament winner Novak Djokovic in June and took over the top of the world rankings for the first time. In an outstanding season, the South Tyrolean won the Australian Open and the US Open and thus celebrated his first two Grand Slam titles.
“To be honest, I’m not really surprised,” said Becker about Sinner’s rise. His determination is outstanding. Sinner could remain number one for a long time, said Becker.
Becker was once also number one in the tennis world
The 56-year-old accepted the award together with ATP boss Andrea Gaudenzi. Becker was greeted with applause by the audience in the hall, which was almost completely full shortly before Alexander Zverev’s first appearance this year at the ATP Finals. As a former leader, Becker is also part of the new number 1 club of the professional organization ATP. He became world number one in 1991. This made a “childhood dream” come true for him, Becker recalled.
Meanwhile, Sinner still faces a ban despite an acquittal after two positive doping tests. The World Anti-Doping Agency Wada recently appealed the case to the International Court of Arbitration for Sports in Lausanne.
Sinner started the year-end tournament in Turin on Sunday evening with a confident two-set win against the Australian Alex de Minaur. On Tuesday (8.30 p.m./Sky), the local hero can underline his role as favorite to win the title in his homeland in a duel with the American Taylor Fritz.
Source: dpa
