Player Features
Sinner on parents’ early sacrifice & his desire to ‘catch up’ on family time
Italian was speaking after winning Madrid title on Spanish Mother’s Day
May 04, 2026
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Jannik Sinner during his title run at the Mutua Madrid Open.
By ATP Staff
Even amid all the fanfare of his latest ATP Masters 1000 triumph, Jannik Sinner did not have to think long about what his parents mean to him.
The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings was carrying out his post-match media duties Sunday after claiming the Mutua Madrid Open title when a journalist pointed out that it was Mother’s Day in Spain. Asked what his mother, Siglinde, has represented in his life, Sinner spoke at length about the early sacrifices made by her and his father, Hanspeter, in service of his tennis career.
“I consider myself very lucky. Lucky because, when I was 13, I made a choice to leave home and to go to a centre to practise,” Sinner said. “I think this for parents is very difficult, especially for a mother, to accept that in a way, to just go and leave home. I think it was tough for me, but it was for sure more tough for my parents because they also would like to see the kid growing up.”
While Sinner is currently enjoying historic success on the ATP Tour — on Sunday in Madrid he became the first player to win five consecutive Masters 1000 events — the 24-year-old recognises some of the difficult choices he has had to make in order to chase his tennis dreams.
“It’s definitely a little bit [like] I missed out a little bit of time, spending time with my parents. I would like to catch up as much as I can,” the 28-time tour-level champion said. “Obviously at home, grandma and grandpa, the parents of my mum, they’re still both alive. I understand her very much that she wants to stay at home and spend as much time as possible with them. But I also would like to have more time with family.”
Jannik Sinner with his brother Mark, mother Siglinde and father Hanspeter at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
While it is not uncommon to see family members of ATP Tour stars at tournaments, the global nature of the tennis circuit means a it is not always possible for loved ones to be a regular presence. Sinner nonetheless hopes to see more of his family, perhaps in a similar way to his great Lexus ATP Head2Head rival Carlos Alcaraz, who frequently travels with his parents and his older brother Alvaro.
“It’s great to see Carlos, for example, travelling with family and his brother, and I think he’s doing very well,” Sinner said. “Because when somebody is not there anymore, then you regret it. So hopefully I can have some more time with my parents and the people I love, and also with my brother and friends. Because things can change.
“[My mother] is definitely a role model, and I’m very happy to have my mum, and very happy to have my dad, and they are a true inspiration for me. I just try to be a little bit like them, because then I know that I’m a good person.”
