Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner was playing for more than just personal glory when he won his first US Open title on Sunday.
The 23-year-old Sinner had hoped to bring home the coveted trophy as a ray of hope for his aunt, who, as he said in an interview on the pitch after the game, was “not in good health”.
In an interview with TODAY on September 9, the world’s top player explained why he dedicated his victory to his aunt.
“She’s very important,” Sinner said, holding his US Open trophy. “She’s having health issues at the moment. There’s not really anything you can do, so it’s not just a difficult moment for me, because she’s my mother’s sister too. So all in all, it’s not an easy moment for our family.”
“But in other ways, I’ve tried to bring home something positive and give her a little strength,” he continued. “I don’t know how much it can help, but I’m just trying my best.”
Sinner said his aunt was often there for him throughout his childhood and often took him to ski races as he was an avid skier in his youth.
“It’s a very difficult moment,” he said. “She’s a very important person in my life because my parents always worked, and every time I came home after school or wherever and my parents weren’t there, sometimes my aunt would come.”
In his post-match interview on court at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York, on September 8, Sinner also spoke about the severity of his aunt’s illness.
“I don’t know how much longer I’ll have her in my life,” Sinner said. “It’s so nice that I can still share positive moments with her. She was a very important person in my life and still is. The biggest wish I wish for everyone is the best of health, but unfortunately that’s not possible.”
Sinner defeated American Taylor Fritz in straight sets in the final to win his second Grand Slam title this year, having already won the Australian Open in January. Fritz was bidding to become the first American to win the US Open in 21 years.
“The crowd was fair,” Sinner told TODAY. “It was just an honor and a pleasure to be part of that final, and of course to hold that (trophy) in my hands makes it even more special.”
Not only was Sinner competing against an American on Fritz’s home soil, he also played the tournament under the shadow of numerous controversies.
He tested positive for a banned substance twice earlier this year, but was not suspended after an investigation by the International Tennis Integrity Agency found he had ingested the substance accidentally.
Since then, he has won three tournaments after the positive tests and was also the first Italian to win the US Open.
“Of course this season was not easy, but the success was enormous and of course we strive for more, but we always have to be very happy to be able to continue working,” Sinner said in the third hour of TODAY.
