Jannik Sinner Shifts Focus to Australian Open Defense After Stellar 2024 Season
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner is ready to defend his title at the Australian Open, turning his attention to the upcoming tournament after what he termed an “amazing” 2024.
The Italian star kicked off his preparations with a challenging exhibition match on Tuesday, prevailing against Australian Alexei Popyrin in a hard-fought battle on the iconic Rod Laver Arena.
Sinner, who is coming off a breakthrough year where he claimed his first Grand Slam title in Melbourne and followed it up with victories at the US Open and the ATP Finals, faced a stern test against Popyrin.
The match, played in sweltering 40-degree Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) heat, saw Sinner rally from a precarious 5-2 deficit in the second set, ultimately clinching the victory with a score of 6-4, 7-6 (7/2).
“2024 was an amazing season for me, but it has already gone now,” Sinner reflected after his match. The 23-year-old took a break over the holidays, enjoying a snowy Christmas back home before arriving in Melbourne. He opted to skip any lead-up events and focus solely on his title defense, emphasizing the importance of acclimatizing to the court conditions.
“So many things have happened for me on this court and off the court,” he noted, expressing his excitement to return to the venue where he achieved so much. “I’m very happy to be back, even if it is a kind of exhibition. For us, it’s always very important trying to feel the court, the pace.”
Despite his confidence and preparation, Sinner’s journey is not without controversy. A doping cloud looms over his preparations after he twice tested positive for traces of the steroid clostebol in March.
While the International Tennis Integrity Agency cleared him, accepting that the substance entered his system through a treatment by his physiotherapist, the World Anti-Doping Agency has appealed the ruling, leaving Sinner awaiting a verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
