"They said 'We have to talk later because we have work'" - Jannik Sinner credits his parents' response to losses for his positive mindset & work ethic

Jannik Sinner has candidly discussed his parents' impact on molding his positive mindset and strong work ethic.

Sinner has never shied away from expressing his appreciation for his parents. After his triumph at the 2024 Australian Open, the Italian shared how his "perfect" parents helped him become the "relaxed" man he is by never imposing any undue pressure on him.

In an interview with Financial Times during his 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters campaign, the World No. 2, whose father is a chef and mother works as a waitress, shed light on his "normal" upbringing once more.

Reflecting on competing in tournaments during his teenage years, Jannik Sinner opened up about calling his parents after losses only to be told that they would discuss it later due to their work commitments.

"I went to a couple of tournaments when I was younger – 16 or 17 – and I lost. And afterwards I called my parents and I wanted to explain what happened. And they said, 'Yeah, OK, but we have to talk later because we have to work now, OK?'" Jannik Sinner said.

The 22-year-old asserted that their response taught him the value of hard work and an upbeat attitude, disclosing that his parents always sported a smile when coming home from work. He emphasized that this lesson instilled in him a positive mindset and a strong work ethic.

"At that point, I understood that obviously results matter, but what really matters is trying to work hard, waking up and going to work and doing it with a smile. My parents always came home and smiled. So that’s what they gave me: a really positive mindset with a really good work ethic," he added.

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Jannik Sinner: "I miss the time with my parents, because I left home when I was 13, 14; hopefully, I can make this up in the future"

Jannik Sinner

Following his triumph at the 2024 Miami Open, Jannik Sinner candidly discussed his lack of quality time with his parents, disclosing that neither could accompany him to tournaments frequently because they need to take care of his aging grandparents.

Having left home as a young teenager to train at Riccardo Piatti's academy in another city, the 22-year-old made an honest admission about missing out on family moments with his parents and expressed his desire to make up for lost time in the future.

"For sure I miss personally a little bit the time with my parents, because I left home when I was 13, 14. So I haven't had so much time with them," he said.

"Hopefully, I can make this up in the future, but, I mean, for me it's more important if they are happy. I know I'm happy. If I'm happy, they're happy. It's all good," he added.

Jannik Sinner is in action at the Madrid Open as the top seed, commencing his campaign with a dominant 6-0, 6-3 win over Lorenzo Sonego in the second round. The Italian faces Pavel Kotov in the third round of the Masters 1000 event.