As of: January 26, 2024, 11:46 a.m
By: Andreas Knobloch
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Jannik Sinner is in the final of the Australian Open.
He sensationally defeated Novak Djokovic, but he almost didn't become a tennis star.
Munich - An Italian's big moment could come in Melbourne.
Jannik Sinner defeated record champion Novak Djokovic in four sets in the semifinals and is now in the final of the Australian Open.
So far, Sinner has not been able to win a Grand Slam tournament in his life.
And he almost never got that far because he dominated another sport his age.
Sinner, the South Tyrolean ski talent, is in the final of the Australian Open
The South Tyrolean Sinner naturally grew up surrounded by high mountains.
It goes without saying that alpine sports are on your doorstep and invite you to try them out.
And Sinner showed his sporting talent early on, although initially not on the court, but on the slopes.
The Italian, born in 2001, liked to put on his skis.
He was traveling quickly.
At the age of seven he became Italian giant slalom champion and in 2012 junior runner-up world champion.
Winter sports are particularly popular in northern Italy and have a long tradition.
Sinner could have tried to follow in the footsteps of three-time Olympic champion Alberto Tomba, but he decided on tennis just in time.
The right decision, as it turns out not until 2024.
The still young man has been competing at a world-class level for years.
In November 2021 he reached the top ten in the world rankings for the first time.
Jannik Sinner: Almost 1.90 meters, a huge serve and a match away from immortality
What will probably benefit him in his tennis career is his size.
The right-hander measures 188 centimeters.
Of course there are also tall skiers, but smaller men are usually more successful in technical disciplines such as giant slalom.
In his match against Djokovic on January 26th, he didn't allow a single break point; he only lost his serve in the third tiebreak of the third set, which led to Djoker's only win in the set.
In the final he will face the winner of the game between Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev (everything about the game in our live ticker).