Jannik Sinner fondly revisits iconic Christmas moment with Maria Sharapova to ring in holiday season

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner revisited an iconic Christmas moment with retired former No. 1 and 5-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova on Christmas.

In 2019, Jinner and Sharapova went viral with a duet of the Christmas track 'Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree', complete with reindeer hats. In the song, the tennis duo can be seen performing the Christmas song and doing a simple dance routine. On Christmas Eve, Sinner posted the clip with the caption,

"Obviously had to post this gem again."

Earlier this year, Sharapova posted the clip alongside a congratulatory message to Sinner when the Italian outlasted Daniil Medvedev to win the Australian Open.

"I knew that one day you’ll regret this," the Russian former World No. 1 captioned the post. "Congrats Champ!! patience, poise & class," she added.

The song, originally recorded by American songstress Brenda Lee in 1958, has remained popular through the decades, often witnessing a massive surge in popularity during the holiday season. It currently occupies the No. 2 position on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

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Jannik Sinner looking to continue his success after a near-perfect 2024

Jannik Sinner won 2 out of 4 Grand Slams in 2024 - Source: Getty

2024 was a massively successful year for Jannik Sinner as he won his first two Major titles (Australian Open and US Open), the ATP World Tour Finals, and successfully defended Italy's Davis Cup title alongside his compatriots. He also finished as the ATP's World No. 1 for the first time.

Former World No. 1 Mats Wilander backed the Italian to win more Slams than his closest rival, World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, in a recent discussion. Alcaraz picked up the other two Grand Slams this year and defeated Sinner each time they met.

"Jannik Sinner will win more Grand Slams than Carlos Alcaraz. A minimum of two Slams from Mr. Sinner," Wilander said during an interview with Eurosport.

However, former players Tim Henman and Laura Robson backed Alcaraz to walk away with more Slams next year in the same discussion.

Despite his near-perfect season, the World No. 1 pinpointed areas where he needs to improve to continue his success in 2025. He said (via AFP):

"I actually believe there is still gap of improvement. There are still certain shots and points what I can make sometimes better, but are small details. The higher you play level-wise, the more details make the difference."

Notably, Sinner has been at the center of a doping scandal after he twice tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid called Clostebol in March. The Italian was later cleared of wrongdoing after he explained that the substance had entered his system as a result of contamination from a support team member, who had been applying an over-the-counter spray (available in Italy) containing clostebol and massaging Sinner.