Jannik Sinner, sweaty debut in Rotterdam

Sinner in Rotterdam

Jannik Sinner’s debut match in Rotterdam was no picnic.

The South Tyrolean, fresh from his Montpellier tournament triumph, needed the third set to beat Benjamin Bonzi, who surrendered only 6-2 3-6 6-1 after more than two hours of play. Sinner in the second round will face an opponent of a different caliber: Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Despite having achieved excellent results in skiing since childhood, at the age of 13 Jannik decided to devote himself exclusively to tennis, moving to Bordighera, at the court of Riccardo Piatti. It was a choice that would prove successful, as Sinner is the youngest Italian tennis player ever to enter the top 100 (October 2019) and to win an Atp title in the Open era (Sofia 2020). In addition, along with Matteo Berrettini, Jannik is the only Italian tennis player to have reached at least the round of 16 in all four Slams. For him, 2022 was the breakthrough year: he left Piatti to rely on Vagnozzi.