Jannik returned to last year’s victory when he was in the midst of discussions with his lawyers for the agreement with Wada which would have led to the three-month suspension for the Clostebol case: “I tried to enjoy every moment when I entered the field, my mind was never really clear of thoughts. It was hard”
A smiling and serene, and perhaps even more mature, Jannik Sinner shows up at the media day ritual well covered given the fresh wind that has been whipping around Melbourne for a couple of days. Last year, when he arrived in Australia, in the campaign that ended with the second consecutive Down Under triumph, he was in the midst of discussions with his lawyers for the agreement with Wada which would have led to the three-month suspension for the Clostebol case. It seems like an eternity has passed, those days are now behind us and Jannik is a 24-year-old boy with a richer set of experiences and awareness: “Last year the situation was much more difficult, because at that point of the year I still didn’t know what would happen – he said -. I tried to enjoy every moment when I entered the field, my mind was never really clear of thoughts. It was hard. Now that I know how it ended, perhaps it’s easier to tell it, but they were difficult days also for the my family.” What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. It happened with the well-known Wada issues, but also for Roland Garros, a disappointment that led him to give everything to bring home the historic Wimbledon title for him and for Italy, which had never seen one of its players celebrate at Church Road: “Everything happens for a reason – he continued -. What I have overcome has made me stronger as a person, as well as as a player. I feel more mature, more prepared to face difficult situations. Now I experience sport in a very different way, more relaxed, but giving the maximum. It’s always about finding the balance and now I’m very happy.”
balance
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A balance also found thanks to Darren Cahill, the Australian coach who will remain at least for the whole of 2026: “He is an important person for all of us, for the whole team. He has great experience. He knows me not only as a player, but also as a person, in a different way and it is very important because he always manages to have everything under control, he makes you feel safe. He is like a father to all of us (smiles)”.
