Meet the Up and Coming Italian Tennis Player Joining the Ranks of the Big Three

Have you ever come across the concept of nominative determinism? It’s the notion that people’s surnames predispose them to live up to certain expectations, like Scott Speed the stock-car racing driver.

Well, tennis has recently gained a new star by the name of Jannik Sinner. Despite his ominous surname, Sinner has proven to be quite the opposite. Known to have defeated Novak Djokovic twice in the last fortnight, he confesses to having smashed a mere two rackets this season – an almost unheard-of statistic in the current tennis scene.

After conversing with Sinner, one might picture him enjoying a glass of warm milk before bedtime, tucked in with his favorite teddy bear. He gives no impression of being a cold-eyed killer. However, for the past couple of years, this mild-mannered demeanor led to a series of frustrating near misses. One such instance was the five-hour US Open quarter-final match that 21-year-old Sinner lost to the even younger Carlos Alcaraz last year.

After winning the US Open and defeating Djokovic in this summer’s Wimbledon final, tennis fans hailed Alcaraz as the start of a new era. However, the tides in the sport change rapidly. Unfortunately, Alcaraz’s success was short-lived, losing seven matches since his winning streak. Meanwhile, Sinner has overcome his inconsistencies and started delivering his best performances at the most crucial times, rather than at 30-15 in an otherwise routine game.

Take Sinner’s three-set victory over Djokovic on Saturday night. Italy was already trailing in their Davis Cup semi-final against Serbia, and when Djokovic had three match points – 0-40 on the Sinner serve – everyone was convinced the match was over.