Topline
Jannik Sinner, the world’s top-ranked tennis player and a Forbes 30 Under 30 alumnus, announced Wednesday he would withdraw from the upcoming Paris Olympics after he was diagnosed with tonsillitis.
Sinner became the first Italian tennis player to win a Grand Slam title earlier this year.
Key Facts
Sinner, who first experienced symptoms on Monday while practicing in Monaco, was notified by his doctor on Tuesday that his condition “unfortunately got worse,” later advising him to withdraw from the Olympics, according to a statement translated by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
Sinner, 22, was included in Forbes’ European 30 Under 30 list for sports and games earlier this month, after winning the Australian Open in January while holding endorsement deals with Gucci, Rolex and Lavazza coffee.
He was scheduled to participate on Italy’s Olympic team for the men’s singles and men’s doubles events.
A medical team has advised Sinner to “rest and recover to full health,” he said, adding he is “looking forward to competing with my teammates and the rest of the Italian team.”
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Surprising Fact
Sinner became the first Italian to be named the world’s top-ranked tennis player and the 29th person to ever reach that rank earlier this month. He opened the year as the fourth-ranked player before winning the Australian Open and the ATP Masters 1000 in Miami, later reaching the semifinals in the French Open.
Key Background
In 2021, Sinner became the youngest tennis player to enter the world’s top 10 and the first player born in the 2000s to do so. He began competing at professional tennis events at age 16 and broke into ATP’s top 100 players in 2019. Four years later, Sinner competed at the Australian Open and in Wimbledon, losing to runners-up Stefanos Tsitsipas and Novak Djokovic, respectively, He upset Djokovic—the then-No.1—to advance to the Australian Open final in January, when he defeated another former No. 1 Daniil Medvedev.
Further Reading
Exxon acquiring Pioneer for nearly $60 billion, a mysterious respiratory illness affecting dogs across the U.S. and the challenges against transgender health care. Before joining Forbes, he covered the Black Mountain, North Carolina community for the Asheville Citizen Times. Ty earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Auburn University and his master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University. Email him at troush@forbes.com.
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