US Open champion Jannik Sinner has admitted he’s dealing with a ‘difficult moment’ due to his aunt’s ongoing health battle.
The Italian dedicated his straight-sets championship win over Taylor Fritz to her on Sunday, and said after the match that he didn’t ‘know how much longer’ his aunt had to live.
And in speaking with TODAY on Monday morning, he shared more about her current condition.
‘She is very important. She struggles with health at the moment,’ he said. ‘You can’t really do anything, so it’s a tough moment not only for me, because it’s also the sister of my mom, so all things considered, it’s not an easy moment for our family.
‘But in another way, I tried to bring something positive home and tried to give her a little bit of strength,’ he added. ‘I don’t know how much it can help, but I just try my best.’
Jannik Sinner lifted the US Open on Sunday in New York amid his aunt having health issues
Sinner beat American Fritz in straight sets to capture the first US Open title of his career
‘It’s a very difficult moment. She is a very important person in my life because my parents, they used to work all the time, and every time when I came back home after school or whatever and my parents weren’t there, my aunt sometimes arrived.’
Sinner spoke on TODAY while holding the US Open trophy, alongside women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka, who beat American Jessica Pegula on Saturday.
Sinner, the men’s world No. 1, won the first US Open (and second Slam) of his career as he took down Fritz 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.
However, his tournament has been marred by controversy after he was publicly cleared of doping prior to taking the court in Queens.
Sinner failed two drugs tests in March for the steroid clostebol, which a tribunal determined entered his system after a physio used a spray for a cut on his own hand before working on the player.
The 23-year-old has also maintained his innocence, claiming that the amount of clostebol found in his system was less than a billionth of a gram.
Nonetheless, he was cleared by the The International Tennis Integrity Agency and allowed to compete in Queens, storming to a title win after both Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz suffered early exits.
