Jannik Sinner

“A great guy – just a shame about the ten kilometers”

Jannik Sinner will be the first Italian to top the world rankings on Monday.(Bild: AFP)

Jannik Sinner was once considered a great skiing jewel, now on Monday he will be the first Italian to become the number one tennis player in the world - thanks to attributes such as meticulousness, serious work and down-to-earth attitude. The "Krone" took a look at the 22-year-old's life - where he comes from, how he lives and what is important to him.

Jannik, "il ragazzo con il sorriso", the boy with the smile, as he is called by the "Gazzetta dello Sport", is beaming - from the tennis throne, which the 22-year-old will ascend for the first time on Monday. Sinner will become the 29th number one in the tennis world, the first from Italy. This is a "childhood dream come true" for him. Although the South Tyrolean also enjoyed skiing as a child alongside tennis - he started playing at the age of three: he became Italian giant slalom champion in 2008 and runner-up in 2012.