Jannik Sinner was touted as the great hope of Italian tennis, and he's proving it by becoming the first Italian to win 50 matches in a season in 45 years.
Italy has a long history in tennis and plenty of great players, but it's been a while since they had a really great one. Matteo Berrettini was a worthy leader for a few years as a Top 10 regular, but right now, Jannik Sinner is emerging as the top Italian name in the sport.
He's been known as a tennis super talent for a few years but is finally taking that step forward this year. He won a big trophy in Canada and now added another big one in Beijing. It's been the best year of his career as he's basically ensured his place at the ATP Finals while also winning 50 matches for the first time in his career.
He became only the 3rd player on the ATP Tour to win 50 matches this year, behind Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz who both have 60+. It's a rather significant achievement both for himself and Italian tennis overall.
By doing this, he became the first Italian player to win 50 matches in a year since 1978. He's actually only the 3rd Italian ever to do that, behind Barazutti (1978) and Panatta (1975). That's quite a stat, and he's poised to win even more after starting the Shanghai Masters off with a win.
It's significant also because it indicates that he's played a lot, which is excellent for a player who has been injury-prone much of his career. His body is a common concern among tennis pundits but it's holding up well this year.
He is 6th in matches played this year, which showcases that he's been one of the healthier guys on Tour. He's also 4th in winning percentage, showing a high efficiency when he does play. In short, he's playing his best season of his career.
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