Jannik Sinner reveals biggest regret of a stellar 2024 season

Jannik Sinner enjoyed a stunning breakthrough year in tennis as he claimed his first two Grand Slam titles and ended the season as world #1. However, the Italian has now revealed his biggest regret of 2024, highlighting the emotional and physical toll the year brought. 

In an interview with Corriere della Sera, the 23-year-old reflected on his defeat to Daniil Medvedev in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, a match that still weighs heavily on his mind. The Italian came into this match after winning the Halle Open, which is normally considered a build-up tournament for Wimbledon. However, Sinner struggled at SW19 before losing in the quarterfinals to . The world #1 also spoke about how the stress from a failed drug test earlier in the year affected him both on and off the court.

“If I look back, Wimbledon is the tournament where I left the most regrets,” Sinner admitted. “I had played very well until the match with Medvedev… It went like this, our sport is unpredictable. For next year, we’ll see: no one knows the future.” 

Reflecting on the match, Sinner revealed that he was physically unwell and mentally drained, grappling with the stress of clearing his name after the doping controversy. “It had an impact because I was often ill, I didn’t feel much energy on the court. I think we saw this at Wimbledon, for example. I went through sleepless nights thinking about it and had some physical problems, perhaps related to this. There were very difficult moments on the court, I didn’t feel like myself, I wasn’t happy.”

Shortly after securing the Cincinnati Open title, Sinner’s year took a shocking turn when the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced that he had failed a drug test in March. While the ITIA decided against imposing a ban, citing extenuating circumstances, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the ruling, demanding a two or three-year suspension.

The controversy over Sinner’s failed test fueled debates about fairness in tennis, especially concerning the varying treatment of athletes in similar situations. For Sinner, the fallout from the incident was more personal. The stress and public scrutiny weighed on him heavily during the Wimbledon campaign, contributing to his illness and impacting his performance against Medvedev. 

While the Wimbledon quarterfinal loss remains a sore point, Sinner’s overall season was nothing short of historic. He won 73 of his 79 matches, claimed eight ATP titles, and capped off the year with a Davis Cup victory for Italy.