That match was the manifesto of modern Sinnerism, and Jannik won his first ATP final. Five years later, he finds himself ranked No. 1 in the world and the best Italian player ever
“Did your first serve go in a little short? It’ll take years before I can say I serve well.“ Not too many, actually, but in November 2020, Jannik Sinner couldn’t have known that. In the bag he takes to the court, however, there is already a certain amount of confidence in front of journalists: ”It’s not just how many serves you hit, but also when: in the important moments, somehow, I hit them all.” The press room approves as they update their almanacs: on November 13, 2020, in Sofia, Jannik becomes the youngest Italian ever to reach an ATP final. All thanks to a victory over Adrian Mannarino, who now awaits him in the round of 16 in Cincinnati.
Numbers count, but killer instinct counts more. In Bulgaria, right at the end of the season, Sinner sharpens the weapons for his future career: he converts the only break point he has in the first set to take it 6-3 from the Frenchman. Then he puts on his helmet from the back of the court: Mannarino comes back strong in the second set, creating three break points, only to see them all canceled out in quick succession. Looking back five years later, the semifinal in Sofia already shows signs of modern Sinnerism: in addition to solidity and cynicism, we can already see an enviable confidence on fast indoor surfaces (on which Sinner lost in the 2023 Finals final to Djokovic, before going on to win every match). In Bulgaria, Sinner’s performance was a Rossinian crescendo: “The victory against Fucsovics at the beginning definitely helped me: I had already lost to him in Australia a few months ago.”
record— Indeed, the Bulgarian version of Jannik brings everyone together and recalls another of his applauded achievements: the Next Gen Finals the year before, when he won the tournament in the final against de Minaur. Who, incidentally, he met again in Sofia, beating him once more. In the semifinals, he defeated Mannarino, who is thirteen years older: “To get the better of him, I had to play my best tennis. I’m happy to be able to play another match in 2020, and a final is always special.” Especially if you are the youngest Italian ever to reach it: 19 years and 89 days, better than Pistolesi (19 years and 7 months) and Cancellotti (20 years and 2 months). Incidentally, Sinner’s green ticks also extend to that final: a clear victory in two sets against Pospisil to win the first ATP title of his career.
Pressure— It’s not a short step from Sofia to Cincinnati. In between, there has been a shower of titles (including four Slams) and a comfortable spot at the top of the rankings. On the other side of the net, however, there is the Frenchman again. Mannarino comes to terms with his 37 years by sipping tequila before matches (“It helps me concentrate”) and avoiding reading the name of his next opponent on the scoreboard. He lives by small rituals and a newfound confidence: in February, after an unexpected defeat in the Acapulco qualifiers, he dropped out of the top 100 after 11 consecutive years. But he got back on track after Wimbledon (third round) and the Challenger final in Newport. Jannik knows him, he can’t forget that semifinal in Sofia, when, perhaps for the first time in his career, he sent a message to the entire circuit: “The pressure is there and I’m the first to put it on myself because I want to get there. People talk, but I don’t listen much.” Never mind his first serve percentage of 51% against Mannarino: since that 2020, since the semifinals in Sofia, Sinner’s percentages have become… Bulgarian.
