Jannik Sinner, short-circuited in Madrid between dating and Spanish language
Jannik Sinner won Sunday in Madrid, hitting the round of 16 in the Masters 1000 being held in the Iberian capital. Much space after his success over Denmark’s Elmer Moller, with scores of 6-2, 6-3 in an hour and eighteen minutes of play, however, went on his relationship with Spanish, a language spoken by friend-rival Carlos Alcaraz and which the South Tyrolean is slowly learning. A linguistic mix-up with the on-court interviewer, however, created a misunderstanding that forced the champion from Sesto Pusteria to make a hasty clarification. Which, indirectly, also concerns partner Laila Hasanovic.
Beating Moller, Sinner was joined for the ritual interviews immediately after the game. At the end of them, the interviewer asked him if he could say a few words just in Spanish. The ATP number 1 ranked player then replied that he understood the language well, but that he still did not feel completely comfortable speaking it. The talk then continued generating the colossal misunderstanding.
“I would like to learn it within a year, since I have the Argentine physiotherapist (Alejandro Resnicoff, ed.). I also use Duolingo and Babbel to improve,” Sinner revealed. However, the interviewer confused the first online service with Babel, a dating app used to arrange love dates. “No, I said Babbel, Babbel, Babbel,” the South Tyrolean clarified in a crescendo of embarrassment and even covering his face with his hands. “I’m not talking about the dating app, I don’t need any dating app. A necessary clarification so as not to disturb Laila Hasanovic, who is also often present in the stands during his matches.
Resnicoff, we recall, joined Sinner’s staff in the second part of last season, making his first official appearance alongside the South Tyrolean at the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing in September 2025. His presence had immediately attracted attention, confirming Sinner’s constant focus on taking care of his physique, a topic that has become particularly sensitive after the muscle problems he suffered at the end of that season.
Strictly from a tennis point of view, Sinner admitted to the microphones of ‘Sky Sports’ that he struggled more than the scoreline suggests: “This match was totally different, but gradually I was able to push a little bit more. There wasn’t as much pace and I tried to serve well in the important moments. I succeeded, and that’s good.” The South Tyrolean then explained the specific difficulties created by the Dane: “He was shooting really hard, so it was also useless to go to the net. Against a player I didn’t know before is always difficult. You start a match without knowing exactly what to expect, however, after a couple of games I understood a little bit how to play.”
With the victory over Moller, Sinner rises to 19 consecutive wins on the circuit and continues to chase a historic goal: to become the first tennis player ever to win five Masters 1000s in a row, after titles in Paris, Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo. A goal he prefers not to dwell too much on: “I know what’s at stake, but I don’t want to focus too much on that. We know where we want to go, but I have to think about my body and how I feel right now.” In the round of 16 he will face the winner of the match between Britain’s Norrie and Argentina’s Tirante.
The context is made even more favorable by the absence of Carlos Alcaraz, who announced a forfeit not only in Madrid but also at the Internazionali d’Italia and Roland Garros due to a right wrist injury. The Spaniard will not be able to defend the 3,000 points he won between Rome and Paris last season, effectively opening an extraordinary window for the world number one. At Roland Garros itself, Sinner aims to complete the Career Grand Slam by winning the one Slam he still lacks.
