Superstar in Indian Wells: Jannik Sinner. © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / CLIVE BRUNSKILL

The special role of the Sinner dad in Indian Wells

On Thursday, Jannik Sinner will face the quarter-final duel at the Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells. The Sesto native can rely on a very special lucky charm.

March 14, 2024

From: det

At the tender age of 13, Jannik Sinner left his home in Sesto behind him to pursue a great tennis career. As a result, the Puster native no longer saw his parents, about whom he raves again and again in interviews, very often. That's exactly why Sinner particularly enjoys moments like those in Indian Wells: Dad Hanspeter accompanies his son - like last year - to the tournament in the California desert.

Hanspeter fulfills a dual function: on the one hand, he is Jannik's fan and good luck charm, and on the other hand, he pampers the entire team with his cooking skills. Dad worked as a cook in an alpine hut for years. “Our routine these days is pretty simple,” said Jannik Sinner after his round of 16 win against Ben Shelton.

Sinner's parents Silinde and Hanspeter.

“After the match we prepare dinner and then sit at the table with the team. Afterwards I relax on the sofa with Dad and we watch a bit of TV, often Netflix too.” These words show how much Sinner enjoys catching up on these family moments.

Today a dangerous outsider awaits

It's game day again on Thursday from 19 p.m. CET, when the previously flawless South Tyrolean will face a dangerous outsider in the quarter-finals. Jiri Lehecka has already eliminated number 5 (Andrey Rublev) and number 11 in the world (Stefanos Tsitsipas) in Indian Wells.

Jiri Lehecka is a dangerous outsider. © APA / MATTHEW STOCKMAN

The Czech is still “only” number 32 in the world, but he has the potential to make it to the top in the future, after all, he is only 22 years old – just like Jannik Sinner. So a hot duel awaits.