By Frank ‘Scoop’ Baldwin.
Jannik Sinner retained his Wimbledon men’s singles title on Sunday (13 July), further cementing his status as one of the dominant forces in tennis. But long before he was lifting Grand Slam trophies, the Italian was making a name for himself on the snow-covered slopes of the Dolomites, where he won junior skiing titles before choosing the tennis court over the piste.
Raised in the mountain village of Sesto in Italy’s South Tyrol region, Sinner spent much of his childhood skiing in the Tre Cime Dolomites (3 Zinnen Dolomites).
He displayed exceptional natural ability from an early age and became one of the Italy’s leading young alpine skiers, winning numerous regional and national junior races in slalom and giant slalom. His performances earned him trophies and recognition as one of Italy’s brightest skiing prospects.
His development also took him to Kronplatz (Plan de Corones), one of Italy’s premier ski destinations, and he competed in junior events at Sestriere, the resort that hosted skiing competitions during the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Many believed Sinner’s future lay on the ski slopes rather than the tennis court, but at the age of 13, he made the bold decision to leave competitive skiing behind and dedicate himself entirely to tennis.
Jannik Sinner’s winning characteristics
Other top tennis players and coaches have said they believe the balance, agility and fearlessness he developed while racing down steep Alpine slopes helped create the characteristics of Sinner’s movement on a tennis court.
Coaches have often pointed to his exceptional footwork and composure under pressure as qualities that can be traced back to his years as a competitive skier.
Sunday’s Wimbledon final means Sinner has now contested seven Grand Slam men’s singles finals – winning five of them.
He lifted the winner’s trophy at the Australian Open in 2024 and 2025, the US Open in 2024, and Wimbledon in 2025 and 2026. He finished runner-up at the French Open and the US Open in 2025 after two competitive finals against Carlos Alcaraz.
Sinner still has a strong connection to his Alpine roots and during breaks in the tennis calendar, he occasionally returns to the mountains of South Tyrol, often on the same slopes where his sporting journey first began.
For Sinner, the route to Grand Slam glory did not begin on hard courts, grass or clay. It began high in the Italian Alps, where a talented young skier collected trophies, mastered speed and balance, and unknowingly laid the foundations for becoming one of the greatest tennis players of his generation.
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