Jannik Sinner

Red curls tamed by a baseball cap, a clenched fist, a powerful shot – we are talking about a man from Sexten known far beyond the region. Jannik Sinner is celebrated worldwide as a star of the tennis scene and is now an integral part of international sports news. High time, therefore, to give the professional athlete a face “at home” as well: as someone who grew up here, who took his first steps here, hit his first balls – and set out to play. Down-to-earth, modest, eager to learn. This is how interview partners and sports commentators describe him. What he thinks of the hype surrounding him is evident in every statement he makes. The tennis professional speaks about his matches, goals and successes in a friendly and composed manner. It has long been known that he did not always dream of a career as a tennis star. On the contrary: in his childhood, it seemed likely that he would one day establish himself in the international ski circuit. Like most people in Sexten, he was already on the slopes at the age of three – with the small difference that just a few years later he was already among the best skiers in Italy. At that time, he only played tennis for fun. “With skiing, it’s like this: if you’re good in South Tyrol, then you’re also very good in Italy and even worldwide. With tennis, it’s rather the opposite,” Sinner once said in an interview. At the age of 14, however, he decided to take the “harder” path – which led him to a tennis academy nearly 700 km away in Bordighera. Another characteristic of the focused athlete from Sexten. After all, anyone can take the easy route! A true mountain person.