Jannik Sinner has had an interesting upbringing as far as his exploits in tennis are concerned. Early on in his childhood, the Italian star did a bit of skiing alongside playing tennis. Moreover, Sinner was also one of the top junior ski racers in his country from seven to twelve years old. Along with this, he has been playing tennis tournaments since the age of five. However, there has been one common trait right from his childhood days that defines Sinner. Former American tennis pro, Steve Johnson gave an account of this in a podcast.

Sinner, who is 6’2″ tall, weighs just 167 pounds. There have been many talks about his physical prowess despite being skinny. Johnson highlighted this fact during the latest episode of the Nothing Major podcast released yesterday while revealing details of their feisty encounter five years back. The two clashed at the Rome Masters in 2019 where the then-17-year-old Sinner produced a thrilling comeback to defeat Johnson 1-6, 6-1, 7-5 in the first round.

Johnson said, “If I would’ve played the 27-year-old wildcard in Rome, I would’ve felt way more comfortable… I did not follow the junior rankings, it wasn’t a big thing for me. When you walk out there, the kid is what 6’3″, 112 pounds, super skinny, all I am thinking is like, you’ve got to win… He was not so good so this is what I take this down to.”

However, Sinner himself hasn’t hidden the fact that he was very skinny in his childhood days. The Italian star lacked the physical prowess required to compete at the highest level. “Talent does not exist for me, one has to earn it. You can have slightly better skills, but if you work you will get higher; the one who works is the one who has talent. I remember that in the winter I went to the tennis court with my father and I took my ‘little’ racket. I could never even lift it because I was thin and without strength,” Sinner once said.

Nonetheless, Sinner worked on his physical capabilities and is one of the hardest hitters in the tennis world right now. The Italian star once revealed how he considers physical fitness as an important part of the sport.

Jannik Sinner makes a candid confession about his physical prowess

Despite playing weeks in and weeks out on the ATP Tour, Sinner has managed to remain consistent. Take the example of this year. The Italian star won back-to-back titles on numerous occasions and a big credit goes to the fact that he has worked very hard on his physical fitness. Sinner considers this an important aspect of the game and devotes a lot of time to it.

During an interview, he once said, “I am more in the gym than on the tennis court right now. Me, for example, I have to be strong and stable. And I think that’s one of the reasons why I made this extra step [of winning a Grand Slam], because physically I’ve grown. When I was 20, I still didn’t have the body of a 20-year-old. And you have to accept that.” 

Sinner is currently leading his country’s charge at the Davis Cup Finals. Italy are through to the semifinals of the tournament and will face Australia next. Can Sinner enable his country to lift the Davis Cup crown and cap off his season on a high? Let us know your views in the comments below.