Sinner opens up about living in silence with his positive result: "One day I woke up and thought.."

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This same week, Jannik Sinner was interviewed by Sky Italy to talk at length about how he has experienced these last months, when the news broke about his positive test and subsequent acquittal by the ITIA. The issue is still ongoing due to the appeal filed by WADA, which aims to further investigate the case. Meanwhile, the Italian is confidently making his way through the circuit, proving that currently he is the best and most consistent of all.

The interview will air this Friday, October 25, but Ubitennis has had access to the video, so we bring you a preview of everything Jannik Sinner will discuss in this interview. He leaves nothing unspoken: how he sees himself on the circuit, the pressure of being the best, goals for 2025, and above all, how he experienced the news of his positive test.

Being No. 1

Sampras used to say that when you become the world No. 1, you feel like you have a target on your back and everyone wants to shoot at you. When you lose being No. 1, it feels different because when you lose, you lose. If you are No. 10 and lose to No. 5, it's a bit different because he is a bit stronger than you. Being No. 1, you will always be the most sought-after by everyone. That's why this sport is so great.

His tiebreak record in 2024

Many talk about tiebreaks, but from my point of view, it's about how I get to the tiebreak. I do many things during the set and feel what works and what doesn't. For example, if I serve down the T and win the point, and then serve wide and lose it, then later during the tiebreak I can choose. Experience is key. I'm the type of player that, if I'm up 6-5 and my opponent serves, I put a lot of pressure on him and become more aggressive. In the tiebreak, I can end up on the mat because it has happened before, but I always try to understand before a crucial moment what works and what doesn't. This year, in that sense, I have taken a step forward.

The differences between young Jannik and No. 1 Jannik

I don't think I have changed as a person. What happened to me hasn't changed how I treat others or the people close to me. The only thing that changes is that now you have less free time. I am someone who dedicates as much time as possible to work. If I want to be at home tomorrow, I can, but I don't want to because my career started the day I left home at 13 and a half years old. Now, at 23, I have reached the place I always dreamed of, being No. 1. Now I have to keep working and improving because the rest of the tennis players want to follow in your footsteps.

Looking ahead

I will keep playing for another 15 years, until I am 35-40. I hope my body can handle it. They say 15 years is a lot, but I don't think so. I arrived at this same hotel, the same room, and realized that this past year has gone by very fast. We will do everything possible to continue playing for as long as my body can. I won't waste time. It's the right balance between improving, working with the desire to win, and having the people you love around to help you.

Enjoying playing

Having fun is important because enjoyment makes you want to go out on the court to play, even when you're tired. You don't always feel that when training, but you always want to play a match. I consider myself fortunate because I do what I love. It started as a hobby and now it's my job, but when I step on the court, I still consider it a hobby. I feel like a child when I play tennis. The work is everything else: the gym, going to the physio, going to bed early and waking up early. These are the things that help me become better as a player and person. I see this as a positive thing, and fans give me the necessary strength in difficult times for me to give something back to them.

The news of the positive test before the US Open

It was difficult because I couldn't open up to many people. It was a delicate period. At first, I didn't know how to behave and what would come to light. I also didn't know what would happen with my team. It was very difficult because normally I always have everything under control, but in that situation, it was easy to lose control. One day, weeks later, I woke up and thought, "In the end, I did nothing wrong. I didn't know anything," and that made me change. Whatever the judge decides or what happens in the end is something I can't control.

The toughest moment

It was when the news came out. It happened at a very delicate moment, just before a Grand Slam. I wanted to train on Wednesday, but the news came out on Tuesday. I decided not to train to avoid the chaos that would form at the club. On Thursday, I went to train in the afternoon because we knew that many people would have already left. Even so, there were many cameras following me. It was difficult. When I saw what other players were thinking, I asked myself many, many questions.

Understanding many things

It was hard for me to prepare for the US Open in that way. I am convinced that everything happens for a reason, and perhaps this happened to make me realize who my friend is and who is not. There are players I thought were not my friends or a lot that I thought we were, and they are not. I'm not saying that in the end, this did me good, but it did help me understand many things.

Impact on his mood and physical condition

Nothing had happened, and there were people who knew me and asked why I was down. They would say, "If you won, why are you like this?" and I would say that everything was fine. There were times I didn't sleep the night before. For example, at Wimbledon. The night before the match against Medvedev, I didn't sleep and woke up in a bad state. I appreciate people like Darren Cahill or my father. Thanks to them, I feel protected, safe. Without them, none of this would be possible. I don't know how I could have overcome all this. I'm happy with how I handled everything.

Mental strength

My job was to separate the problem and my job. I always tried to be good on the court. I always trained and kept mentally prepared to play well. That's why I have been successful. Mental strength was the deciding factor. Matches are won with the head. Everyone plays well, but I have won matches because of my mental strength. I have understood many things this year.

For 2025

The next season will be different because I am in a position where I know I can win big tournaments. This year, the goal is to end as No. 1. The goal for next year is to learn many things from the physical and mental side because a small step can help me a lot. The tournaments I want to win I keep for myself, but in my head, I know I can win the best tournaments in the world. That is an important step. I have won two Slams this year, so we will see next year. I know it will be difficult to surpass what I achieved in 2024, but we will see what happens.
 

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Sinner se abre sobre cómo vivió en silencio su positivo: "Un día me desperté y pensé..."