Sinner prepares a champion's restart: "It will be tough at the beginning, but I worked hard"

Being champions, ten years later. The smartphone takes a symbolic photo after training together: Stan Wawrinka e Jannik SinnerThe Swiss lifted the cup of Australian Open in 2014, the blue did it in 2024. Jannik's acclimatization in the land of the kangaroos is lit up with legend, first on the field with the home-grown baby prodigy, son of Hewitt, and yesterday another who has consecrated himself on those fast fields (Stan) interrupting the domination of the big 3. Well, that photo was taken by Darren Cahill, coach of the 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria. Because his protégé is far too focused on the goal (that of confirming himself as king in Melbourne), that he almost has no reaction when he sees his life-size photo in the champions' tunnel: "Not bad". He even asked for the same room in the hotel.

The hope is to find "the same rhythm as last year - Jannik breaks his silence in Australia for the first time -. I have the opportunity to play a couple of exhibition matches before the start of the tournament. Yes, the occasion - just like in 2024 - is the Australian Open Opening Week: he will face the host Alexei Popyrin (tomorrow) and the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (Friday 10 January). While the first qualifying rounds have already begun in the Italian night, yesterday the three Italians were seeded, with Jannik at number 1 and Lorenzo Musetti (number 16 on the circuit) and Flavio Cobolli (number 32 in the ranking).

Sinner decided not to play preparatory tournaments, just like in 2024. A choice that turned out to be a winning one. Now that he is the reigning champion, however, in the first rounds his opponents will be fresh and "I know that everything will be difficult - he continues -. Every tennis player has worked on certain aspects of their game trying to improve. I have done the best preparation possible, worked a lot, so I hope to be able to play well". The Italian knows that the expectations of the tennis community are now regulated to the maximum, that this year he is the runaway hare that everyone is chasing "so. Not to mention the weight, the wait for the ruling of the Tas in Lausanne. The South Tyrolean, as usual, continues to put the ethics of hard work before everything else: "With the situation that I have faced and am facing, it is essential that there is trust in the work group". And you have to believe it when you think of a boy who spends more time with his team than with his loved ones. Jannik also says that for him it was essential to spend "Christmas with the family, but it was difficult because I lost my aunt – also remembered during the awards ceremony of the US Open –. She will always be in my heart, she is one of those special people that I will always keep with me".