Jannik Sinner has put together a tremendous start to 2024, which remains unstained so far after winning 12 straight matches this season.
Sinner made history at this year's Australian Open. He became the first man to beat Novak Djokovic in the semifinal of the Melbourne Slam (Djokovic was 10-0 in previous semis at the tournament) and then proceeded to overturn a two-sets lead against Daniil Medvedev in the final.
His first Grand Slam ended a long wait, spanning nearly five decades since an Italian man last won a major. There was no rest for the weary, with Sinner admitting that his focus was on tennis in the aftermath of his groundbreaking success.
He proved that when he returned to action after a fortnight and won the ATP 500 in Rotterdam - his second title of the season. There is a case to be made that Sinner is currently the world's best player despite sitting at a career-high ranking of World No. 3.
While Djokovic holds that accolade, Sinner has set the early pace in the ATP race, which he leads by some margin. Additionally, the 22-year-old has dethroned Djokovic in the UTR rankings.
The hard-hitting Italian is also the highest prize money earner for the year, thanks to his hefty paycheck from the Australian Open. Sinner has already banked slightly over $2.5 million this season and takes his career earnings to $19,579,723.
He is 32nd on the all-time list of highest prize money earners in men's tennis but is expected to reach the top 20 in the coming months, especially with increased prize money levels on the ATP Tour.
Sinner is less than $500,000 away from hitting the $20 million mark. He could do so at his next tournament - the Indian Wells Masters. He'll need at least a runner-up finish in California to attain that landmark (Indian Wells finalist will earn $585,000).
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