Jannik Sinner opens up: “I’d like to erase that agony”
In an interview with *La Repubblica*, Jannik Sinner finally opened up, discussing the recent difficult period in his career: since the Wimbledon final, the Italian tennis player has been sidelined due to a knee injury that continues to plague him. The five-time Grand Slam champion will not return to the court until 2027 and has made no secret of his disappointment.
“Your body is the only opponent you can’t beat; when it tells you to stop, you have to accept it and follow the specialists’ advice,” he explained. “I’ve never really stopped playing, nor have I turned my back on tennis because it hurt me. On the contrary, I’ve always worked very hard—both in the gym and on the court—and with the physical therapists. Patience is the right word for this period.”
Injuries in tennis have become more frequent: “You need to take a long-term view; it’s not just about today. You sow the seeds now, but the harvest comes in its own time. And it’s always the work—the preparation you put in—that makes the difference, not luck. That helps you win a point, not the match. Injuries are part of the sport; you have to be smart.”
The Italian national team player has a confession to make: “I’d like to erase what I felt the day I left home. The agony of when, at 13 and a half, in Milan, I said goodbye to my father because our paths were parting and a bond was breaking. We were saying goodbye; I was crying because of the separation, but so was he. I’d rather not have had that day—it was too overwhelming an emotion. Even though I suffered, it made me realize that making a choice means gaining some things and losing others. There may be pain, but there’s also the awareness that a decision that cost so much shouldn’t be wasted. You have to do everything you can to make the most of it, without regrets.”
As for the rest, the world No. 1 said he has no regrets about his career: “I have no regrets; I wouldn’t advise my past self to change course, but rather to choose wisely the people I surround myself with.”
