Jannik Sinner: Quiet man of tennis basks in the limelight

Jannik Sinner is the quiet man of tennis who has become a big noise, targeting a second consecutive Wimbledon title on Sunday.

The Italian will face French Open champion Alexander Zverev as he bids to win his fifth Grand Slam title at the age of 24 and close within two of his great rival Carlos Alcaraz's tally.

The pair are the dominant forces in men's tennis, although Alcaraz has missed the past two Slams with injury.

While Alcaraz is the flashy showman of the game, adored by the fans for his high-risk, high-reward tennis, Sinner stays ice-cold on the court and mild-mannered off it.

His game is based on relentless power and accuracy from the baseline.

The Italian is used to life at the top, heading into his seventh major final.

Sinner says he does not follow a strict routine unlike many other players and is aware there is no guarantee his dominance will continue.

"I am very relaxed. Look, I don't have anything that I'm doing the same over and over again," he said.

"I also enjoy the moment, because I know how rare these days are. Grand Slam finals, they are tough to achieve and to arrive."

He has spent 79 weeks as world number one, 13 more than Alcaraz, and earlier this year became only the second player in history after Djokovic to complete a career clean sweep of all nine Masters 1000 titles.

Sinner has won six consecutive Masters tournaments and 34 straight matches at the level just below the Grand Slams.

But until arriving at Wimbledon last week, his form this year at the majors had fallen below his high standards.

A five-set semi-final loss to Djokovic at the Australian Open was followed by a shock second-round defeat by Juan Manuel Cerundolo at the French Open, despite having led by two sets and 5-1 in the third.

Last year, he successfully defended his Australian Open title in January and bounced back from an agonising loss to Alcaraz in the French Open final by defeating the Spaniard in the Wimbledon showpiece match.

Sinner's career was put on hold early in 2025 as he served a three-month ban for twice testing positive for banned anabolic steroid clostebol in 2024.

Sinner has always maintained the product entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, who had used a spray containing it to treat a cut.

The World Anti-Doping Agency said "Sinner did not intend to cheat" but that he would serve his suspension as he is responsible for the actions of his entourage.

- Alcaraz rivalry -

Sinner was born in German-speaking San Candido, in northern Italy, near the border with Austria.

A career in professional tennis was not a given.

He was a champion skier as a youngster and still enjoys the sport in the off-season. He was also a keen footballer.

The right-hander, who stands six feet 3 inches (191 centimetres) tall, won his first title indoors in Sofia in 2020.

The 2024 season was his breakthrough year as he collected his first Grand Slam, the Australian Open, and followed up with seven other titles including the US Open.

He first became world number one -- and the first Italian to reach top spot -- in June 2024.

Sinner's super-power is his extraordinary ability to stay calm on court.

Sinner makes no secret of the fact that he loves the job he has chosen.

"I'm very lucky because tennis started off a hobby when I was young, and now it becomes my job," he said.

"In my mind it's still a hobby. I love to go on court and just play. There is no better place to do it than in big stadiums with packed crowd."

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© Agence France-Presse