"I'm the same person as I was" - Jannik Sinner on keeping his bond with his parents and loved ones intact amid his rise to World No. 1

Jannik Sinner spoke about his bond with his loved ones amidst his ascent to the top of the ATP rankings. The Italian became the new World No. 1 after Novak Djokovic withdrew from the French Open quarterfinals due to a knee injury.

The Serb was thus unable to defend his winners' points from last year's edition of the clay-court Major while Sinner managed to go on to the semifinals. The 22-year-old became the first Italian singles player, male or fremale, to reach the top of the rakings since its inception in 1973.

In an interview with Tennis TV, Jannik Sinner was asked to speak about his attitude with his parents and close ones amidst his recent success. Sinner replied by saying that his behavior with his inner circle remained unchanged despite his achievements and that he was still the same person he was a few years back.

"Me and my family and my people who I love and the friends we are always the same. It's just an achievement obviously everyone is happy and I am very lucky that I can share these things with them. But otherwise I'm the same person as I was one year ago or two years ago." Jannik Sinner said [1:50]

Sinner values sharing success with them and relishes time playing cards or go-karting with friends.

"I just love to spend time with them doing something different going on go-kart or playing cards or whatever. That's where I feel very good."

In the ATP rankings, Jannik Sinner is currently 900 points ahead of Carlos Alcaraz, who became the World No. 2 after winning the French Open. Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, fell to World No. 3 after his exit from the clay-court Major.

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Jannik Sinner seeks to better himself despite becoming World No. 1

2024 Australian Open - Day 15

Despite reaching the peak of the ATP rankings, Jannik Sinner aims to improve as a player. In a recent interview with the ATP Tour, the Italian said that he knew his work ethic and mental approach would lead to his progress.

“I wake up with a goal and then my biggest goal is to get better as a player and as a person. And in my mind, I always was looking forward to working hard, and [I thought] with my work ethic, and then with my mentality, something positive was going to happen."

Sinner further acknowledged that while becoming the world No. 1 was once a dream, he would have been satisfied with achieving a lower ranking, such as No.3.

“It was only a dream to become No. 1 in the world and then if my maximum was No. 3, it was No. 3. But after my career, I want to say that I gave 100 per cent every day. And I think that's my mentality, which I had until now and which I'm going to have until the end of my career.”

After his semi-final exit from the French Open, Sinner had a winning start to his grass season. The 22-year-old defeated Tallon Griekspoor 6-7, 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle. He will next face Fabian Marozsan in the second round of the ATP 500 event.