'I'm the same boy I was before': Jannik Sinner keeping his feet on the ground
Last week Sinner became the first Italian to win the Australian Open after a stunning turnaround in the final against Daniil Medvedev.
The victory has catapulted his fame in his home country, but speaking at a press conference at the Italian Tennis Federation headquarters on Wednesday, he insisted he is "the same boy I was before I won the title".
"I'm taking this popularity in my stride. I'm happy to be sharing all these emotions, but it was only one tournament, and it's also possible that my results won't be as good in the future," smiled the man who ended a 48-year drought for Italian men's tennis in the Grand Slam.
"I like to feel the warmth of the people and their enthusiasm, but I'm the same boy I was a fortnight ago."
Since arriving in Rome from Melbourne on Tuesday, Sinner has met with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and will be received by President Sergio Mattarella this Thursday along with the Italian team that won the 2023 Davis Cup.
Asked about his next objectives, the world No. 4 - who has withdrawn from the Marseille ATP tournament next week and is expected to make his return in Rotterdam the week after - remained vague.
"The objective (for this season) was to get slightly better results in the Grand Slam tournaments than last year, when I reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon. The first Grand Slam of the year went well, but there are still three more, so the season doesn't end here," he said.
"My dream has always been to win a Grand Slam. Now I know what it means and the emotions it brings. I can't wait to get back to work and try to feel that way again.
"To be number one in the world? There's a big difference between being in the top five and being in the top three. It's the same between being top three and world number one. You have to take things one step at a time.
"I'm aware that I still need to improve my physical condition, my strength and my endurance. In terms of tennis, I can do everything a little better, especially on serve (...) there's still work to be done."