After the accident drama

“Very ill”: Sinner’s US triumph also overshadowed

Victorious, but also reflective: US Open champion Jannik Sinner.(Bild: APA/Getty Images)

Jannik Sinner's triumph at the Australian Open in January was overshadowed by a tragic accident. The South Tyrolean was also preoccupied with an off-court issue during his final victory at the US Open on Sunday.

During the Australian Open in Melbourne at the beginning of the year , a mother from Sinner's home town of Sesto and her three children were involved in a serious car accident in East Tyrol. The woman and two of her three children died in the crash, only a 13-year-old survived.

For this reason, Sinner decided not to visit his home country after the victory in Melbourne. "It's a very difficult situation. To have a party in Sesto now would be totally inappropriate," the tennis champion said at the time.

Aunt "is very ill"
After winning the US Open final against Taylor Fritz on Sunday, Sinner said that he was dedicating the victory to his aunt. "She's very ill. She's not really well at the moment. I don't know how much longer I'll have her in my life," said the 23-year-old. "It's nice that I can still share positive moments with her."

At the press conference after the triumph, Sinner spoke about his special relationship with his aunt, who is ill. "She is a very special person in my life," the world number one revealed. When he was young, she drove him to ski races while his parents were at work. They spent a lot of time together and she often helped him during the summer vacations.

Jannik Sinner(Bild: AFP or licensors)

"We travel a lot, so it's difficult to spend time with the people you really love. If I had more time, I would spend more time with the people who really mean something to me," said Sinner.