The twenty-three-year-old Italian professional tennis player, Jannik Sinner, who has been ranked as world No. 1 in men’s singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), has undoubtedly established himself as the “next big thing” in the world of professional tennis with his unending streak of dominance on the court.
As of June 2025, Jannik has clinched a record total of 19 singles titles on the ATP Tour, including three majors at the 2024 and 2025 Australian Opens, 2024 US Open, as well as the 2024 ATP Finals and four Masters 1000 titles.
Additionally, Jannik has also successfully led Italy to the 2023 and 2024 Davis Cup crowns, speaking volumes about his dominance on the court. Although Jannik has earned a massive fanbase in the past few years, the majority of his fans are still not aware of the fact that the current tennis stalwart was once a skiing prodigy as well. Have you ever wondered why Jannik took the bold decision to leave skiing and become a global tennis sensation? Well, let’s find out.
In this article we will take a look at the reasons that made Jannik quit skiing and take on tennis as his mainstream profession.
Top 4 Reasons Why Jannik Sinner Chose Tennis Over Skiing—and Never Looked Back
Jannik Sinner’s Unwavering Passion for Tennis
Although Jannik started off skiing at the young age of five and established himself as a national skiing champion at the age of twelve, he was still drawn towards tennis. In one of his interviews, Jannik revealed that although he was doing absolutely fine in the field of skiing and had a lot of scope of growth as well, he wasn’t truly happy on the slopes despite being honoured as a national champion in skiing. Jannik also revealed that tennis helped him unwind all his stress during his initial childhood years, which later became one of the most significant reasons for his attachment with the game.
Jannik Sinner’s Early Experience with Tennis
Well, in one of his recent interviews, Jannik revealed that although he had been playing the game of tennis along with his friends since his early childhood days, it was only after he turned seven that he started taking tennis seriously. At the age of twelve, Jannik spent more time playing tennis and started drifting away from skiing. Interestingly, even before he could fathom the major transition, Jannik was already defeating older and more experienced players in the regional tournaments, which became a major indicator of his growing potential in the game of tennis.
Jannik Sinner’s Full-Time Tennis Training
Just a couple of months after he realised his true calling, Jannik took the bold decision to move out of his hometown and train full-time at the Riccardo Piatti Tennis Center in Bordighera, on Italy’s coast. Jannik met his first coach, Ricardo Piatti, at the training center, who spotted his natural tennis excellence and helped him to unleash his true potential on the court. Although Jannik was grinding through long hours of practice, defeats in junior tournaments, and homesickness at the training centre, he never felt like giving up on his tennis aspirations even once, speaking volumes about his commitment towards the game.
Jannik Sinner’s Rise in Professional Tennis Circuit
Well, within five years of taking up tennis seriously, Jannik clinched the 2019 ATP Next Gen Finals at age 18 and by the end of 2021, Jannik Sinner had established himself as Italy’s youngest player in the ATP Top 10 in decades. In 2024, Jannik Sinner clinched the Australian Open, confirming that his choice wasn’t just bold but visionary as well. Ever since, the tennis stalwart has never looked back even once. Interestingly, Jannik still spends some time skiing whenever he visits his hometown.
