“These days, if you’re not screaming, disrespecting opponent, you’re not interesting” – Fans defend Jannik Sinner from criticism over personality

Despite Jannik Sinner’s recent title-winning run at the Miami Open, one fan remains unimpressed with the Italian’s performance. This caused a stir among the tennis community, despite Sinner’s current status as the most in-form player on the ATP Tour.

Sinner achieved impressive accomplishments in 2024, beginning with a notable victory at the Australian Open in January where he defeated Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev en route to his maiden Major title. He continued his success with a dominant performance at the ATP 500 tournament in Rotterdam, securing his first-ever title in convincing fashion.

Despite his unbeaten run to start the year being ended by Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals of the Indian Wells Masters in March, Jannik Sinner did not let it discourage him. He went on to triumph at the Miami Masters last week, only dropping one set throughout the tournament.

Although the 22-year-old is often praised by fans as the World No. 2, one person on X (formerly Twitter) downplayed his influence on the sport. They acknowledged his skill as a player, but felt that his on-court demeanor did not capture their attention.

“Sinner… fabulous player, lovely guy… doesn’t interest me at all,”they wrote on their X handle in the aftermath of Sinner’s Miami title.

The claims made above were quickly refuted by the tennis community on social media. One individual argued that fans do not appreciate players who do not engage in shenanigans during their matches.

“These days, if you’re not screaming, disrespecting your opponent, smashing rackets, or doing trick shots, you’re not an interesting tennis player. I don’t think folks have the attention span for real tennis anymore,”they wrote in response to the above fan.

A different fan, in the meantime, lavished Jannik Sinner with glowing compliments for stepping up to potentially take the place of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, who are both approaching the end of their careers.

“This guy is everything we could want in our sport especially at a time where the big 3 era is nearing its end. What more could you want?”they wrote.

Additional responses from social media can be seen below:

Jannik Sinner to make his debut at the Monte Carlo Masters in April

Jannik Sinner plays a forehand at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters

Jannik Sinner has been the most dominant player this year. With an impressive record of 22 wins in 23 matches, the Italian is the one to watch out for. He is set to compete in the upcoming Monte-Carlo Masters, starting on April 7.

As a result of his victory at the Miami Open, Sinner has surpassed Carlos Alcaraz in the rankings and will be the second seed at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Monte Carlo. The top seed in the Principality will be two-time champion Novak Djokovic.

The 22-year-old is determined to surpass his personal best performance at the Monte-Carlo Masters, achieved in the previous year. In 2023, the Italian advanced to the semifinals of the Masters-level tournament, ultimately falling to Holger Rune in a close match of 6-1, 5-7, 5-7. He has competed in the event three times, reaching the quarterfinals two years prior.