Just over a month ago in Paris, Sinner lived through what no man had before: three championship points in a Grand Slam final, all squandered. He had a chance to serve out the match against Carlos Alcaraz but faltered. Coming off a loss like that and returning to the Grand Slam stage so soon isn’t something players usually bounce back from. But Sinner did. “Sleepless nights” followed him from Roland Garros to Wimbledon, but so did the support of the tight-knit group around him. His family, he said, helped him through it, and fittingly, they were in the stands as he made history.

Jannik Sinner grew up in Innichen, South Tyrol, a mountainous region in northern Italy more known for skiing than tennis. His parents, Johann and Siglinde, worked long hours at the Talschlusshutte ski lodge, his father as a chef and his mother as a waitress. His older brother Marc, adopted in 1998, shares a close bond with Jannik. Johann couldn’t make it to Paris for the French Open final because he was working, while his mom was seen in the stands, being extremely stressed.

But at Wimbledon, his entire family was there to witness history. With his victory, the 23-year-old became the first Italian man or woman to win the prestigious title. Reflecting on what it meant to share that moment with them, Jannik Sinner said, “My mom arrived in London that same morning just to watch the final, and that already meant a lot to me. She got emotional seeing her son play on Wimbledon’s Centre Court, and I was thrilled to see them in the box. Of course, there was a lot of tension; my mom gets a bit anxious, but that’s normal—she’s a mom, and parents care deeply about their kids. They usually don’t have much time, so I was happy they were both there.”

The World No.1 further continued, “I saw my whole family and my team here, and winning this trophy with them in the box was fantastic. In Rome, I was playing the final, and my brother was in Imola watching Formula 1. But I think the Slams are more special, and even if there had been a race, he would’ve come anyway.”

His brother, a known F1 fanatic, had caught some playful flak from Jannik after skipping the Rome final for the Imola Grand Prix. In his speech, Sinner smiled as he added, “There’s no F1 race this weekend, that’s why he’s here.“

If it seems like the Sinners are unusually grounded for a family with a World No. 1, it’s because they are. When Jannik Sinner won his first Grand Slam earlier this year in Australia, he didn’t keep the trophy. He gave it to his parents. “They’re not changing anything with me,” he said at the time. “I’m the same person with a big dream.”

Dreams, however, come with sacrifice.

Jannik Sinner reveals the sacrifice his parents made for his dream

“I wish everyone could have my parents because they always let me choose whatever I wanted to,” Jannik Sinner told People after the Australian Open. “They never put pressure on me.”

And when their son chose tennis, they supported him all the way. That meant letting him go when he was just 14.

The Italian shared, “I went away from home when I was 14 years old. So I had to grow up quite fast, trying to cook for myself, trying to make laundry. You know, the first time, it’s different, but then in [another] way, that was maybe the fastest way to grow up. I think for me [it] was tough, but for [my] parents to leave their son [at] 14 years old, it’s also not easy.”

Even now, years later, time together is fleeting. He admits his demanding schedule keeps them apart, and their busy jobs don’t help. But on Sunday, they were all there. As Jannik Sinner now prepares to defend his US Open title, it’s the continued support of his family that remains the foundation of his rise.