Undefeated Sinner seeks more: 'You can always set new goals'

Jannik Sinner began his 2024 season by winning his maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, beating Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev in the final two rounds. Two weeks later in Rotterdam, he backed that up by winning the Dutch ATP 500 trophy, losing just one set along the way.

That success has lifted the Italian to a career-high of No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings, and he can pass Carlos Alcaraz for No. 2 by matching or bettering the Spaniard's result at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. But even as he looks back on a perfect 12-0 start to this year, Sinner sees plenty of room to grow.

"I think tennis is a good sport because you can always set new goals," he said Wednesday in his pre-tournament press conference. "It doesn't really matter what kind of title you win. The next week is a good week and a good opportunity to do again something great.

"In my mind, I know that there are some important points for me to have a better ranking. This kind of motivation just keeps pushing me and of course, even more importantly, it's to become a better tennis player throughout every week. So we will work. It doesn't matter what the result is in the tournaments, we will keep working and hopefully I can get to 100 per cent in every single department."

That's not to say that Sinner and his team, headed by coaches Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill, did not celebrate their Australian Open triumph. But the party did not last long — even if the trophy is prominently displayed in what Sinner called his "really small" Monaco apartment.

“It took not so much [to reset]. I had to do a couple of things in Rome, but while I was in Rome, I was already in the gym working," he explained. "I always think and believe that you live in moments. It was a positive and special moment. But then after you have to do it over again. You have to wake up in the morning and work again. And if you lose, you live this negative moment, but you don't live your career with this.

"I have maybe a little bit different point of view of how to celebrate these kinds of things. Obviously, we had fun for one day, but then after everyone went home, and that's how we deal a little bit with all this."

Sinner's red-hot form extends back to the end of 2023. He has won 25 of his past 26 matches, including three victories to lead Italy to last year's Davis Cup title. After Italian WTA player Jasmine Paolini said Sinner's success helped push her and Italian tennis forward, the Australian Open champ put his impact into the greater context of the sport in the proud nation.

"It started already years ago, starting from the women’s side with [Francesca] Schiavone and [Flavia] Pennetta," he said. "Then after Matteo [Berrettini] making the final of a Grand Slam [Wimbledon 2021], and [Fabio] Fognini won the Masters event in Monaco [in 2019].

"We have so many great players and for me it’s good and fun to be part of this group who tries to push the other players and to give them also different aspects of how to see things. Sometimes it's also really important and I just feel very lucky to be in this position, and hopefully I can help them in one way."

Sinner will bid to continue his inspiring season when he opens his Indian Wells campaign on Friday against Thanasi Kokkinakis.