In a season filled with mixed emotions, Jannik Sinner’s on-court accomplishments have been overshadowed by the doping scandal surrounding him. Although the International Tennis Integrity Agency initially cleared him, backlash from figures like Nick Kyrgios has persisted.
Undeterred by the criticism, Sinner proved his mettle by clinching the Shanghai Masters 2024 title, beating Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the final. This victory prompted fans to question Kyrgios’s own tennis achievements. In fact, some have even gone so far as to compare Kyrgios’s entire career with Sinner’s 2024 season. The data clearly shows that the comparison between the two is one-sided.
Sinner had a dream season, as he not only won two Grand Slam trophies — Australian Open and US Open — this year but also added five more titles to his tally. Of the seven tournaments Sinner won this year, two were Majors, three were ATP Masters 1000 and the rest were ATP 500 events.
Nick Kyrgios titles in full career (13 years): 7
Jannik Sinner titles in 2024 only: 7 pic.twitter.com/MUQWXSkWiH
— Swish Tennis (@Zwxsh) October 14, 2024
On the contrary, Kyrgios has never had a season like this. In fact, the Australian has only clinched seven titles in his whole career. Not having won any ATP 1000 tournament so far, Kyrgios has secured three ATP 500 titles, three ATP 250 titles and one ATP Challengers Tour title.
The Australian player earned a total of $12,486,696 in prize money in his career (both singles and doubles combined), while Sinner won $12,032,935 this year alone. Having secured the number-one year-end ranking in the world, Sinner scripted history to become the first Italian to do so. On the other hand, the highest ranking Kyrgios could achieve in his career was 13.
Grandslams won: Sinner 2
Big mouth Kyrgios : 0.— Adrian Lamar (@ludah_kahlonji) October 14, 2024
Kyrgios Is simply not as talented as he thinks he is. It’s a lot easier to pretend not to care than really trying hard
— Alessandro (@MagnusPinus) October 14, 2024
Lol, and he is still talking about winning a slam
— Shermaine Russo (@RussoShermaine) October 14, 2024
What he should’ve done was to take care of himself instead of partying like there’s no tomorrow.
To be the best in the world, you must make sacrifices. And for Kyrgios, it’s too late. He’s going to be 30.
— SHARINSKAYA (@Ratu__Malaya) October 14, 2024
Hence, the numbers explicitly highlight the disparity between the two players’ performance and achievements on tour so far. It led to fans suggesting that the Australian should focus more on improving his own game rather than criticizing others.
Kyrgios-Sinner rivalry
This comparison is mainly based on the statements made by the Australian player following the news of Sinner’s doping tests. Kyrgios has publicly criticized the Italian even after he received a clean chit from the International Tennis Integrity Agency. Although the World Anti-Doping Agency has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the ITIA’s decision, Kyrgios continues to voice his opinion on the matter.
While commenting on one of Sinner’s US Open matches, Kyrgios even stated that he wouldn’t be cordial to the Italian in the locker room anymore. However, this made the netizens take a jibe at the Australian, questioning how he could do that when he hasn’t returned to the court for over a year and a half now.
Another factor that has added fuel to the Kyrgios-Sinner rivalry is Anna Kalinskaya, a Russian tennis player. Kalinskaya, who was reportedly dating Kyrgios in 2020, is now in a relationship with Sinner. It could be perceived that Kyrgios’s continuous criticisms of Sinner might be partly fueled by this reason.
