After winning his maiden Grand Slam, Jannik Sinner has said that he has observed his opponents now respecting him more.
Next week, at the Open 500 in Rotterdam, the recently minted Australian Open champion will make his formal competition debut against the local favorite, Botic van de Zandschulp.
The 22-year-old has had an incredible few weeks after shocking Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals and defeating Daniil Medvedev in an incredible five-set comeback in the Melbourne final.
Speaking to MARCA on Saturday, Sinner acknowledged that, following his thrilling victory, he feels as though he has earned the respect of his opponents and that, as a result, he needs to be ready to compete at a higher level.
They know me better, and they respect me more, but they also know my vulnerabilities better, Sinner remarked. I train because I have to be ready for it. Let’s observe my response to this circumstance.
It’s different from the past because the players will play with less pressure because most of them won’t have anything to lose against me.
Sinner feels that when Djokovic and Rafa Nadal retire from the game, tennis will be well-managed due to the contrasting playing styles of the future generation of stars, such as Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune.
There are a lot of young players who are performing well; Daniil Medvedev and Sascha Alexander Zverev are two examples, he continued.
It is true that Holger, Carlos, and I are the youngest. The lovely thing to see is that none of us are alike and that we are all unique to one another, both psychologically and in terms of game play. It’s going to be an intriguing future.
There is not much time to rejoice
Sinner returned to work immediately following his first Grand Slam victory, so he hasn’t had time to celebrate with his loved ones.
The Italian said he hasn’t seen his family since winning, but he intends to go see them after his involvement in Rotterdam is over.
