'Becoming No. 1 Is One Thing, Staying Another': Sinner Focused On Progress In Halle
ATP
Jannik Sinner will play his first event as number one at the 2024 Halle Open, but he's focused on progressing in his career.
The Italian had a really good stay in Paris recently, making the semi-finals of Roland Garros, which ensured that he took over as world number one from Novak Djokovic. It was a wonderful moment for Sinner, who had dreamed about it all his life, but he was not one to rest on his laurels.
He's in Halle, ready to play again, with the goal of progressing further as a player. As he told the media, becoming world number one is one thing, but remaining world number one is a totally different thing, and that's the plan.
To put that plan in motion, he needs to keep playing good tennis, but the season is on grass, so anything can happen.
"I still have a lot to learn, even though I'm number one in the world. Sometimes I wonder how it was possible for me, who was born in a small village like Sesto, to have reached the top of the world."
"Becoming number one is one thing, staying there is another. I have to continue to work hard especially from a physical point of view."
Sinner is generally a good grass-court player, so very few doubt that he'll continue playing well on the surface. He made the Wimbledon semi-final last year, which confirms that, but as he pointed out, he needs to keep working hard to maintain where he got.
Carlos Alcaraz will be soaring after recently winning Roland Garros, and he's proven himself quite good on grass as well, so he'll keep pushing the envelope. Sinner will have to respond as well if he hopes to keep number one and win more trophies, possibly majors, this year.
