Jannik
Sinner faced off against a kid during a practice session at
Indian Wells and
experienced his first "defeat" of the year. The Italian boasts 16
consecutive victories on the Tour, including a second-round win against Thanasi
Kokkinakis by 6-3, 6-0.
Sinner's
stellar moment has positioned him as the best player of the year so far. He
clinched his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open and followed it up
with a triumph at the Rotterdam Open two weeks later.
However,
during practice, Sinner demonstrated that he is not invincible when he engaged
in an unofficial mini-match against a young fan. The amusing moment was shared
by Tennis TV, showing the kid winning two points, one with a forehand and the
other with a backhand winner.
The
lighthearted encounter concluded with Sinner fist-bumping the fan before
leaving the court, creating a moment that he'll likely not forget.
Third round
at Indian Wells
Now, the
22-year-old youngster will face German Jan-Lennard Struff in the third round at
Tennis Paradise and could extend his winning streak. Among active players, he
is tied with Alexander Zverev in 2021 and Felix Auger Aliassime in 2022, both
with 16 consecutive victories. If Sinner defeats Struff, he will reach the
milestone of 17, trailing only behind Daniil Medvedev, Andy Murray, Rafael
Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.