As Jannik Sinner looks to defend his Wimbledon title, his family will be supporting him—even if they aren’t there in person at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
“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 practice,” Sinner said earlier this year about his parents’ sacrifices for his tennis career. “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.”
He added, “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. 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.”
Here, a bit more on those closest to the tennis star:
Sinner’s parents earlier this year.
Growing up, Sinner’s parents worked at a ski lodge, and are still focused on running their own guest house, Haus Sinner. Work commitments frequently prevent Hanspeter (who also goes by Johann) and Siglinde from attending their son’s matches. “So they are always working and that’s what I love about them,” Sinner told reporters in 2024. “They’re not changing anything with me.”
Earlier this year, Sinner said, that his mom “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.”
Jannik Sinner’s brother, Mark Sinner
Sinner’s brother Mark is on left, with their parents.
Mark was born in Russia in 1998, and was adopted by Jannik’s parents at nine months old, two years before Jannik was born in 2001. He currently works as a fire brigade instructor in South Tyrol, Italy.
“I am used to not seeing him at home, but when he returns it’s wonderful. Every week of the year is busy with training and tournaments, so we try to keep updated by phone almost daily,” Mark told Il Messaggero. “On the court, as off, he has always been a very calm guy…Popularity hasn’t changed us at all.”
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Deputy Digital Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.
