Italian Jannik Sinner has cruised into the third round of the Indian Wells Masters Cup after defeating Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3 6-0, in straight sets. The 2024 Australian Open Winner now has a 13-match winning streak this season. The young Italian is one of the main contenders for the number-one rank.

Always encouraged by his parents to play sports, Sinner had a serious future in a few of them. Talking after his first match win, he reveals why he chose tennis among other sports.

Jannik Sinner – ‘I Feel Like I Have Grown’

Talking to the Tennis Channel after his impressive win at Indian wells, Sinner reveals why he chose tennis over other sports, “I love to be part of a team sport but you cannot really make the difference (alone), you know it’s really tough and you also cannot see the real personality and in tennis when you are under pressure when you start to lose then you see the real personality of the people and of the players and that’s one thing where I said, you know what, I’ll try to play tennis because it makes me grow even faster as a person because when I went away from home my life changed I had to do laundry and you know like all these little stuff but you know you have to take care of it. I would do it over again, I feel like I have grown.”

When asked if he takes advice from other champions, the world no. 3 expounds, “Yeah I like to chat also with people who are not in tennis to see other visions, I started to text a little with Cheillini, he is a really good football player, Valentino Rossi, with Tomba, so you know its great to see other vision also from outside tennis. I haven’t met anybody yet in real life, I would love to but in other way, it is my pleasure to have this contact but, in other way, I have to be also focused on what I do you know I am a tennis player and I have different rhythms than maybe what they have but for sure the pressure is a little bit similar.”

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The young Italian seems to be vying for the No. 2 ranking at Indian Wells in a tight competition with Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev. However, he has dismissed these speculations drawing praise from a legend.

Jannik Sinner – ‘Number 2?’

With a remarkable rise in his ranking in the last couple of months, Sinner is closing in on the No.2 spot. However, during a presser at the Indian Wells, he pointed out the importance of having a consistent season rather than being ranked No.2.

Sinner cleared, “Number 2? I always say that the ranking is a secondary thing. First, to get there I have to have a very continuous season, which does not mean winning every tournament, but being ready to compete. In Rotterdam, we knew there was a chance to become number 3. Here, it’s the same thing to become number 2, but it doesn’t just depend on me”

Boris Becker, a six-time Grand Slam champion, lauded the young Italian’s thought process on X: “There is a young man with an old soul.”