Jannik Sinner and the challenge of staying at the very top

Jannik Sinner has undoubtedly been the best player of the 2024 season. A year that comes to a close and that the Italian ended on a golden note, culminating in the double ATP Finals - Davis Cup without showing any signs of fatigue despite the huge number of matches played. Sublime management of the calendar and competition loads, great intelligence in scheduling his peak performances, and a supreme balance between risk and control illuminate the year of the transalpine, who is already preparing for the upcoming year in Dubai.

2025 will bring good news to a guy who, for the first time, will become the reference point throughout the year for the rest of the circuit, the one everyone wants to catch. This opens up the first debate about him looking ahead to next year: Will he be able to handle the pressure? Will he show his usual imperturbable face over 12 months, displaying unquestionable motivation in every tournament? It is indeed the big question... and everything we have seen from him in recent months brings us positive signs, although the difficulty of the task is immense.

NATURAL COURTS, THE LAST FRONTIER TO CONQUER

Ending the year without losing before the quarterfinals in any tournament and with just six defeats is certainly an extremely difficult goal to repeat. Achieving it would leave the Italian with an exceptional feeling, although his constant pursuit of perfection will require him to raise the bar in various aspects. Beyond maintaining motivation and not yielding mentally in his new status, Sinner's major goal in 2025 will be to take a step forward on natural surfaces.

Clay courts are perhaps the only surface left for Jannik to master. It is where he feels most vulnerable, where his speed and ball power encounter greater challenges in different dimensions of the game, where Alcaraz, his great rival, has shown his ability to dominate. At times, we have seen Jannik playing at a single pace on a surface that demands much more variety and, above all, knowing how to use your lifted shots much more effectively. Hitting at shoulder height has repeatedly put Sinner in difficulties, and it may have become a path to follow for many players, which will compel the Italian to make a move and work on it if he wants to take his 2025 to a new level.

WHAT IF EVERYTHING CHANGES?

Previewing Jannik's 2025 without mentioning the word doping would be ignoring reality. No, it is not for the reason that many haters imagine, nor to accuse him of something that no one will ever know for sure if he did or not: it is an extremely relevant term due to the trial he will face in months at the TAS, where the WADA's case could sideline him for several months.

While this trial does not have an exact date yet, a conviction could shatter Jannik's season goals. WADA argues that the Italian has some responsibility for his team members, despite admitting that his positive tests were due to contamination: if that ends up being the trial's verdict, it seems very likely that Sinner could face at least a few months of disqualification. This circumstance raises a small question when analyzing his upcoming season: there will be no improvement on clay courts, of course, if the one from San Candido cannot play tournaments like Roland Garros.

It is a small addendum to the 'Sinner report': his vacations have been very short and filled with advertising commitments, a clear sign that the hunger to continue competing - and winning - remains intact. Australia, the first Grand Slam defense, will be the initial challenge for a guy who will seek to maintain his status as number one, emerge as the true generational leader above Alcaraz, gain ground on the Murcian on less comfortable surfaces, and ultimately establish himself as the face of the future of tennis. Will he succeed? Get ready for a heart-pounding 2025.

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