Jannik Sinner revealed his childhood idol after claiming his first-ever Grand Slam by defeating Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open 2024 final.
Sinner, 22, became the ninth youngest champion Down Under after making a stunning comeback, coming back from two sets down in a battle that lasted for three hours and 45 minutes.
Sinner talked about his idols during a photoshoot at the Melbourne Botanical Gardens where he was joined by Nicholas Pashulya, a member of the Hot Shot Tennis Academy in Victoria’s capital.
The 22-year-old revealed that he always looked at the legendary Roger Federer as a youngster due to his on and off-the-court behaviour.
“When I was younger, I think the biggest inspiration was always Roger Federer because of the way he behaves on the courts, the way he treats people off the court," said Sinner.
“I would say the mix of him and Rafa because, you know, also the fighting spirit of Rafa. Yeah, they are great sportsmen. But there are so many.”
That was not the first time the Italian lauded the legendary Swiss, as in November 2023 after Sinner steered Italy to their first Davis Cup glory in 47 years, he expressed regret that he never got the face the 20-time Grand Slam winner.
“It has always been Roger Federer. I dreamed of playing with him but unfortunately, it never happened,” he told the Italian daily Libero Quotidiano.
“Who knows if one day we will be able to do a performance together. I’d really like to. He is a very good person as well as being a great champion.”
Remember, Sinner became the first Italian since Adriano Panatta in 1976 to win a Slam. The world no. 4 just lost one set on his route to the final, which came against 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic in the semi-final.
