Jannik Sinner Responds to Fans Questioning His Italian Loyalty

Jannik Sinner opened up about fans ridiculing him for missing the Olympics.

Jannik Sinner is dealing with backlash from his home country. / David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports

It has been a whirlwind year for Jannik Sinner. The World No. 1 men's tennis player won his first Grand Slam in January at the Australian Open before going on a dominant run throughout the spring.

However, injuries and illness began to plague Sinner throughout the harsh summer months. Sinner battled dizziness during a loss to Daniil Medvedev in Wimbledon. Shortly after, he withdrew from the Swedish Open due to fatigue.

Eventually, Sinner made the tough decision to miss the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The strategic move upset many fans in Sinner's homeland of Italy.

Back with a 💥

The moment defending #OBN24 champ @janniksin locked up his 43rd win of 2024! pic.twitter.com/ERE7KC7T26

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 8, 2024

Sinner is back on the court this week at the Canadian Open and looks like his old self. However, he is still dealing with questions about the Olympics.

Tennis reporter Giovanni Pelazzo asked Sinner about fans who say he "isn't Italian enough" and that he didn't make the "extra effort" to play in the Paris Olympics.

Sinner prefaced his answer by saying it was a question he didn't even want to answer. He explained, "I had said since the beginning of the year that my biggest goal was the Olympics, but unfortunately, I wasn't even able to get out of bed. Then honestly, what people think... let's say I give it little importance, little weight."

Jannik Sinner on people who say he ‘isn’t Italian enough’ & that he didn’t make the ‘extra effort’ to go to Paris for the Olympics

"It's a question I don't even want to have to answer honestly. I think only my team and I really know how I felt.. from the outside it's one thing,… pic.twitter.com/OTdhObhu7D

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 8, 2024

The 22-year-old then made the mistake of going on social media, which is something he usually does not do. "I'm not on social media anymore, which is something that does me a lot of good. Then I read some things anyway; it's obvious that when you open your phone, there are notifications, and I see something. But I also know who I am as a person and what kind of people I have around me who all care a lot about me."

Sinner officially closed the door on the subject by concluding, "Unfortunately, this time it went like this; there will always be some good things and some a little bit worse, like this. I understand people's reaction, I'm honest, but now I'm here in Montreal, and what happened happened."

Sinner takes on Alejandro Tabilo this afternoon in the Round of 16 at the Canadian Open. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.

Further Reading: Novak Djokovic wants to play in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.