Jannik Sinner arrived in New York this year with a champion’s target on his back. After capturing his maiden US Open crown in 2024, the 24-year-old Italian is now navigating the unique pressure of returning as the reigning champion. But in his mind, he isn’t defending anything. Instead, he says, he’s “always chasing.”
Asked about the challenge of trying to repeat at a major, Sinner offered a candid response that reflected both maturity and focus.
“As I always say, I’m not defending. You know, I’m always chasing, because every tournament you start with zero in the first round, and if you don’t play well, you are out of the tournament,” Sinner explained. “You are chasing for the trophies or good performances, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
It was a refreshing answer from a player whose rise has been marked not only by consistency but also by a willingness to embrace the mental side of tennis. For Sinner, the key is not to dwell on the burden of being “the one to beat,” but rather to approach each match as a new challenge.
This is not Sinner’s first time returning to a Slam as the reigning champion. Earlier this year in Melbourne, he successfully defended his Australian Open title. That experience, he admitted, helped shape his mindset coming into Flushing Meadows.
“Australia helped me a little bit trying to understand, yes,” he said. “But in the other way, the situation is different, conditions are different, and the mental part is also different, because, you know, you grow from the beginning of the year, and now you are nearly at the end of the year.”
That growth, he added, has been central to how he approaches the grind of the tour. While every Slam brings its own challenges, he has learned to adapt and evolve with each one.
Sinner is well aware of what is at stake in New York. With the year-end No. 1 ranking in play and a chance to further cement his status as one of the game’s elite, expectations could easily weigh him down. Instead, he chooses to focus on the process.
“Obviously I know how much is on the line here in this tournament and also for the year end,” Sinner said. “But in the other way, I’m looking to play as good as I can. Then we see the outcome. The rest I cannot really control.”
That ability to stay grounded has been a hallmark of his young career. It’s a mindset that has served champions before him well—Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal often framed similar sentiments during their dominant years.
For Sinner, framing his campaign as “chasing” rather than “defending” is more than just semantics. It’s a mental strategy that frees him from the weight of expectation and keeps him locked in on performance.
“Yeah, it’s all a bit different, but I’m looking forward to it,” he concluded. “They’re great challenges.”
With that, Sinner set the tone for his 2025 US Open run. Whether he lifts the trophy again or not, his mindset ensures that he’ll continue to chase, not cling—an attitude that may ultimately define his era.
