Jannik Sinner partied at the annual Wimbledon Champions Ball after successfully defending his title, banking £3.6m in prize money, and revealing a personal failure: he still cannot get his motorbike licence. The world No.1, who cuts a calm figure on court, is a thrill-seeker off it and has failed the test four times, including just before coming to Wimbledon.
Sinner's Motorbike Licence Struggles
Speaking in the early hours of Monday at the Champions Ball, the five-time Major winner said: “I failed it four times. Before I came here, I failed it once again.” The 24-year-old Italian admitted he wants to pass the test, but his focus remains on tennis.
A Night of Celebration
Sinner let his hair down after defending his Wimbledon crown, admitting he was “a bit tipsy” after dancing with ladies’ singles champion Linda Noskova at the famous ball. He said: “I’m a bit tipsy, so I try to talk very simple with the right words.”
Mother's Anxiety During Final
While Sinner stayed cool to come from behind and beat Alexander Zverev 6-7 7-6 6-3 6-4, his mother Siglinde had to leave Centre Court multiple times during the three-hour and 46-minute final. Sinner added: “Mum left a couple of times, which is normal. I’m not a parent yet, so I don’t know how it feels when the son is playing there, but at the end of the day, we do enjoy moments like this.”
Bouncing Back from French Open Exit
Sinner bounced back from a brutal second-round exit at the French Open to retain the Wimbledon trophy. He explained: “We practice a lot every day. I do dedicate my whole life to be the best possible version of myself and for moments like this, we have a lot of pressure. We have external problems sometimes, but at the end of the day, we always need to show up at the court and we need to perform in the best possible way.”
Key to Success
Sinner emphasised the importance of hard work and belief: “Having these kinds of results, not every tournament goes our way, but for sure, the percentage is higher if you do many things in the right way. I would say that’s the main key. You know until the last point it’s not over. Everything can happen. I had it in the past, in Paris last year. You know when only one point is missing. You try to focus on the right things and the right choices you need to do and also believe that you are doing the right job. Of course sometimes you need some luck as well. So today was also a lucky day for me because I can say it could have gone different ways. All things considered, I’m of course very very happy.”
