Jannik Sinner recently became a Grand Slam champion, but he's in no rush to become number one on the ATP Tour, preferring to take one step at a time.
The young Italian's career has been fascinating to observe. He didn't emerge basically overnight like Carlos Alcaraz did; he took his time. He announced himself among the best and slowly improved over a long period of time, which former player Andy Roddick praised him for.
Alcaraz's rise was meteoric, as he went from an interesting talent to world number one in the span of a year. The Italian's way was steady, more like his personality. That's why he is in no rush to become world number one after becoming a Grand Slam champion.
Talking during a recent press conference in Rome, Sinner admitted that he's going to take one thing at a time, and if and when it happens, then it'll happen.
"I’m taking it one step at a time. I know I still need to improve physically and in terms of my fitness, which can help my tennis. I can do everything better. A lot of important steps have been taken but there’s still work to be done."
That's a really good mindset for Sinner to have, and it's the one most likely to work out over a long period of time. The Italian had that mindset forever, which is why he highlighted hard work as a necessity for much of his career.
He also preached patience, which ultimately worked out for him because he's now a Grand Slam champion with a very bright future. Unlike some other players, he's mature enough to win a few more immediately because his rise has been so steady.
"There are many differences between the top 5 in the world, the top three and then number 1. For now I am number 4. The first objective is to move forward in small steps. In the meantime, we are approaching position number 3."
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