What made Jannik Sinner the best Italian hard court player?

Jannik Sinner is widely recognized as one of the best hard court players in the world. Naturally, this also makes him the premier Italian hard court player. But why is this the case? How has he managed to overcome the common stereotype that Italian players are primarily clay court specialists?

Looking at the statistics, Sinner’s superiority on hard courts compared to his compatriots is striking. He boasts an impressive 80 % hard court win rate, significantly better than other top Italian players. Matteo Berrettini is second with a 55 % win rate on the surface, while others like Lorenzo Musetti and Fabio Fognini are below 50%.

The truth isn’t just about Sinner having a better playing style than his peers; it’s largely about familiarity and upbringing.

The Role of Court Surface and Climate

There’s a pervasive belief, often rooted in truth, that players from South America tend to struggle on hard courts. This is because the overwhelming majority of tennis courts on that continent are clay, meaning these athletes essentially grow up playing on clay. They encounter hard courts much later, and it can take a long time to adapt because the differences are massive. It’s not just the speed of the court, but also the way the ball bounces. Furthermore, some of their playing styles may never fully acclimate to hard court tennis because they simply aren’t a great fit. Certain types of courts reward specific playing styles, and there’s little to be done about that.

The situation is similar in Italy, and in Spain, as the vast majority of tennis courts there. Hard courts are generally more common in colder, more northern countries.

This is where climate played a pivotal role for Sinner. He is from South Tyrol, the northernmost region of Italy. The climate there is vastly different from the rest of the country, featuring rather cold and very snowy winters, where many actually speak German as a first language. This meant that the tennis courts in his area were predominantly indoor hard courts. Therefore, unlike most Italian players, Sinner didn’t grow up on clay; he grew up on hard courts, and this fundamentally shaped his game.

Even after moving to the Piatti Tennis Academy, Sinner didn’t spend much time on clay, as the academy also primarily featured hard courts. This unique circumstance allowed the Italian to develop into a much more formidable and lethal player on hard courts compared to his compatriots.

Undoubtedly, Sinner’s success has much to do with his inherently aggressive and precise baseline game. However, had he not grown up playing on hard courts, his playing style might have been steered in a completely different direction. Ultimately, Sinner is likely glad things turned out the way they did, as this early exposure is what allowed him to develop into one of the best players in the world today.