Starting from 1973, Jannik Sinner is the 29th tennis player to reach the top of the world rankings. In 50 years, before him, only 28 players have achieved this milestone.
Thus, not only is he currently the best, but he also belongs to an exclusive club of players who have managed this feat. His idol is Roger Federer, but he has studied Valentino Rossi and Alberto Tomba to understand how to achieve such top-level results. It’s like climbing Everest without oxygen; only a few can endure the challenges of this endeavor, turning doubts and fears into objects of their improvement rather than nightmares to escape from.
Sinner appears happy, and many wonder how he manages to stay so focused on learning and improving, as if this attitude were exaggerated. Positive psychology helps explain this approach, suggesting that one aspect of personal well-being involves leading an engaged life. It pertains to the well-being derived from engaging in rewarding activities and realizing personal potential. This means living experiences fully centered on the present, focused on what interests and pleases. Thinking about the immediate future does not generate negative tension since it accepts the fear of not succeeding. He has been injured and chose to skip the Italian Open to heal; he aimed to at least reach the finals at the French Open but didn’t make it. His secret is to think one step at a time, dream big like winning the Olympics, but think small, like the next tournament in Halle: “I have always thought one step at a time: I wanted the first point to enter the ATP rankings, then I imagined entering the top hundred and so on. I have always set a small goal to take a step forward. And this, in my opinion, has been the key to where we are today.”
Many tennis players, on the other hand, are dominated by another concept, positive for spending free time but hindering success in sports life. It’s the idea of wanting to lead a pleasant life, dominated by experiencing positive emotions and pleasant sensations. It’s the eternal struggle between the momentary well-being from achieving immediate results and the well-being obtained by pursuing a goal that goes beyond the individual, connecting them with all those who have walked the same path before them. To confirm this, the ATP has made a video in which previous number 1 players in tennis address Sinner not only to honor him but to thank him for what he does for tennis.
