In 2024, Italian tennis phenom Jannik Sinner won his first two majors and ascended to world No. 1. Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz won the other two Slam tournaments. The pair’s matchups could fuel men’s tennis for the next decade. “It’s nice always to have someone who pushes you to do better,” says Sinner.
This summer, a doping controversy threatened to overshadow his accomplishments, but a tennis integrity agency cleared him of any fault for testing positive earlier in the year for trace amounts of a banned substance—a ruling the World Anti-Doping Agency now plans to appeal. Even so,a U.S. Open victory helped quiet concern. “I haven’t done anything wrong,” he said in a mid-September interview. “I’m happy that this is now behind me.”
For his part, Sinner credits his rise to his focus on fundamentals. “When you try to become a good cook, in the beginning, most likely the dish is not going to be good,” says Sinner. “But you keep trying. After, it becomes a good dish to eat, no?” After his chef’s kiss of a tennis campaign, we’ll take Sinner at his word.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- How the Economy is Doing in the Swing States
- Democrats Believe This Might Be An Abortion Election
- Our Guide to Voting in the 2024 Election
- Mel Robbins Will Make You Do It
- Why Vinegar Is So Good for You
- You Don’t Have to Dread the End of Daylight Saving
- The 20 Best Halloween TV Episodes of All Time
- Meet TIME's Newest Class of Next Generation Leaders
Write to Sean Gregory at sean.gregory@time.com