Italy stopped at 5.45pm today, Monday 27 October 2025, when Siglinde Sinner, Jannik Sinner’s mother, broke a years-long silence with a confession that shook the country. With a broken voice and shining eyes, he declared in an exclusive interview with Rai 1: “I saw my son bleeding for a dream that the world wanted to take away from him.” His words, spoken after Jannik’s epic victory at the 2025 Vienna Open, painted a past of sleepless nights, extreme sacrifices and hidden pain, leaving millions of viewers breathless. Searches for “Siglinde Sinner confession” jumped by 700% in an hour, while #SinnerMamma reached 2 million impressions on X, transforming the triumph into a tale of resilience.
Siglinde, a private woman who raised Jannik and his brother Mark in San Candido, revealed heartbreaking details of her son’s path to glory. “My son brought glory to our family… but no one knows what he had to lose to get there,” she said, tears streaming down her face as she recalled nights spent tending Jannik’s wounds after grueling training sessions in Bordighera. At 13, Jannik gave up skiing for tennis, a change that cost the family economic and social stability, with Hanspeter, his chef father, working double shifts to finance the dream. Searches for “Sinner family sacrifices” rose by 550%, revealing a human side behind the world number one.
The confession comes a few hours after Jannik’s victory over Alexander Zverev (3-6, 6-3, 7-5), a 2 hour and 29 minute match that marked his fourth title of the season in 2025, with 19 aces despite thigh cramps. But behind the trophy, Siglinde recounted a very high price: ignored injuries, sacrificed childhood and the pressure of a world that saw him as “just a boy from the Dolomites”. “I saw him fall and get up again, with blood on his hands, while I told him he would make it,” he added, an image that made even the strongest cry, pushing searches for “Sinner childhood sacrifices” to an increase of 500%. Italy, which celebrates its hero, now wonders about the cost of that smile.
Jannik’s past emerged in poignant detail: As a 12-year-old, he slept on inflatable mattresses in cheap hotels during tournaments, while Siglinde cooked frugal meals to save money. Hanspeter, suffering from pancreatic cancer diagnosed in June, pushed Jannik to win for him, a secret his mother shared with a trembling voice: “Every ace was for dad.” Vienna’s dedication, “Dad, this is for you,” took on an even deeper meaning, with searches for “Sinner dedication father” jumping by 450%. The fans, moved, flooded social media with #ForzaDaddySinner, reaching 1.8 million posts on Instagram.
The FIT and the public reacted with a wave of empathy: president Angelo Binaghi tweeted at 6pm, “Jannik, your strength is ours”, with 500,000 likes, while in San Candido the fans lit candles outside the Sinner house. Siglinde spoke of nights when Jannik cried in physical pain, but insisted: “Mom, I have to continue.” This portrayal of a fragile champion pushed searches for “Hidden Pain Sinner” to a 400% increase, transforming his image from “robot” to human hero. The Jannik Sinner Foundation received 800,000 euros in donations in one hour, a sign of the country’s love.
World tennis has stopped: Darren Cahill, Jannik’s coach since 2022, told Sky Sports, “Siglinde is the real pillar—Jannik fights for her and Hanspeter.” Rafael Nadal shared a photo of Jannik with the trophy, writing “Come on, champion”, with 300,000 interactions, while Carlos Alcaraz added a heart, uniting the ATP Tour in solidarity. Searches for “Sinner support tennis players” have risen by 350%, with fans reliving his matches as acts of family love. This tale transformed Vienna into a symbol of sacrifice as well as victory.
The Italian media are in an uproar: La Repubblica ran the headline “Sinner’s blood: glory has a price”, while Il Messaggero analyzed the psychological burden, suggesting that Jannik’s pain may have pushed him to 72 victories in 2025. Psychiatrists such as Luigi Janiri noted on Rai 3 that “Janik’s success is also trauma transformed into strength”, an analysis that caused searches for “Sinner psychology success” to soar by 300%. Siglinde’s gesture has opened a debate on the pressure on young athletes.
The public responded with flashmobs: in Milan, fans chanted “I will win” in front of Piazza Duomo, a video that has reached 1 million views on YouTube. In Bolzano, near the hospital where Hanspeter is hospitalized, fans left flowers, with #SinnerFamiglia reaching 1.9 million posts. Searches for “Sinner Bolzano support” rose by 250%, uniting Italy in an embrace of the champion and his family. Siglinde closed the interview with a whisper: “My son lost a lot, but he gave everything.”
At 6.30pm, while Jannik trains in Monte Carlo for the ATP Finals, his mother watches a video of his speech in Vienna, with Hanspeter by his side. “What truth is hidden behind the champion’s smile?” Italy asks itself, and the answer lies in the blood, sacrifices and love of a family that transformed pain into glory. The world of tennis, and not only, reflects: behind every ace, there is a story that shakes the soul.
