Im Sommer 2023 schlurfte in Wimbledon ein junger Mann mit roten Haaren auf den Centre Court. Er war auf dem Weg zu seinem Erstrundenmatch beim berühmtesten Tennisturnier der Welt, und über der Schulter trug er neben seiner Tennistasche auch eine sehr auffällige Reisetasche.
Und obwohl das außergewöhnliche Talent des Tennisspielers Jannik Sinner schon damals kaum zu übersehen war, wunderten sich in diesem Moment viele unter den Zuschauern, dass ausgerechnet dieser etwas blasse, etwas schüchterne und ziemlich dünne Junge aus Südtirol offenkundig die neue Werbefigur einer weltbekannten italienischen Luxus-Modemarke war.
Gut eineinhalb Jahre später wundert sich niemand mehr. Sinner ist zwar noch immer ein bisschen blass, ein bisschen schüchtern und ziemlich dünn. Er ist aber auch das Gesicht einer neuen Ära des Profitennis und einer der größten Stars, den die Branche derzeit zu bieten hat. 2024 war sein Jahr. Er gewann die Australian Open, er gewann die US Open, er gewann die ATP Finals, und er gewann mit dem italienischen Team am Sonntag den Davis Cup.
In the world rankings, Sinner is in first place by a wide margin, even if the picture is clouded by two positive doping tests, for which he is still threatened with a ban. The responsible tennis agency Itia acquitted Sinner; it considered his explanation that the positive test was due to a wound ointment from his physiotherapist to be plausible. But the World Anti-Doping Agency has appealed to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Double attack by Djokovic and Murray
But that doesn’t change the fact that Sinner has set standards this year. The 23-year-old won 70 of 76 games and always won at least one set in the six defeats. A whole year without losing a match – only Roger Federer and Serena Williams had achieved that before him, in 2005 and 2013, both at the peak of their dominance. With his straightforward, powerful and aggressive game from the baseline, Sinner has dominated at will, especially on the hard courts, where he has won 16 of the 18 titles of his career so far. On grass and on sand he at least hinted at his potential.
Sinner is now the benchmark. He is the one to whom everyone orients themselves and whose superiority they now react to: Alexander Zverev, for example, spoke openly for the first time in years that he wanted to “develop” his game “so that I can keep up with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz”. And Novak Djokovic brought a very prominent coach into his team, his long-time rival Andy Murray.
One of the most exciting questions of the new season will be whether two of the best tennis players of the past will find an answer to the questions posed to them by the best tennis player of the present – and whether the rather shy boy from South Tyrol will still be as confident on the tennis courts in this world when he suddenly finds himself the hunted one.
