"Three years ago, he looked like a kid": Andy Roddick marvels at sudden change into a man from Jannik Sinner with improved maturity
ATP
Following his recent hot form to begin the 2024 ATP season, Jannik Sinner has been praised by former World No.1 Andy Roddick for the Italian's maturity on the court.
Sinner ended the 2023 season by winning titles in Beijing and Venice, followed by a runner-up finish at the Nitto ATP Finals and a subsequent historic Davis Cup victory for his home nation. The 22-year old kept his foot on the gas upon beginning the 2024 season, capturing his maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open and later adding another trophy to his cabinet when he won the Rotterdam Open.
Roddick believes Sinner's hot-streak is due to his improved mental state during matches
In the latest episode of his Served with Andy Roddick podcast, the retired American pro opined that Sinner has begun to focus less on winning or losing, and is thoroughly just enjoying his matches.
"It’s gotten to a place where I don't even think he's thinking about winning or losing," speculated Roddick. "Like, obviously that's why we go to tournaments, but it feels like he's comfortable just playing great points. Like, ‘I'm gonna play great points’ and that’s been shaking out pretty well after 90 minutes or two hours.
"Fitness matters, right? When you can go into a tournament like Rotterdam, know your legs are. He's playing long rallies indoors, especially against [Alex] de Minaur, against Monfils, guys that make you play extended rallies.
"When you are confident that your body which, you know, three years ago, he looked like a kid, he was a kid and now he's moving and acting like a grown-up on the court."
"Fitness matters, right? When you can go into a tournament like Rotterdam, know your legs are. He's playing long rallies indoors, especially against [Alex] de Minaur, against Monfils, guys that make you play extended rallies.
"When you are confident that your body which, you know, three years ago, he looked like a kid, he was a kid and now he's moving and acting like a grown-up on the court."
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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