"This Kid Sucks": When Steve Johnson Didn't See the Jannik Sinner Phenomenon Coming

An ordinary match, a scathing phrase, and a totally failed prophecy. In 2019, Steve Johnson lost to a certain Jannik Sinner and swore that the latter would never go far.

© AFP

Jules Hypolite

le 29/11/2025 à 20h29

2 min to read

Johnson Sinner

We are at the 2019 Rome Masters 1000. Jannik Sinner is still just a youngster, invited to participate in the main draw of the tournament for the first time in his career.

For his very first match at the Foro Italico, the future Grand Slam winner draws Steve Johnson, far from a clay court specialist. Sinner comes very close to elimination, saving a match point at 5-3 on his serve in the third set.

"This kid sucks, he's terrible"

The Italian then wins four games in a row to finally triumph 1-6, 6-1, 7-5 in 1 hour 51 minutes. A defeat that Johnson considered humiliating at the time, as he explained in comments relayed by TennisUpToDate:

"When you face a local wild card or a kid from the area, it creates a particular feeling. I walk onto the court and I see this kid, 6'3", 110 pounds, super skinny, and I tell myself: 'This could go badly for me. Here, I have to win.'

Because losing under these circumstances, on the center court, wouldn't look good. In the third set, I'm just trying to find a way to win. I served for the match, got a match point, but I lost 7-5.

After the match, I call my agent and tell him: 'This kid sucks, he's terrible. I'm quitting tennis.' But my team tells me: 'Wait a minute, this kid will be incredible.' To which I reply: 'You're idiots. This kid won't go anywhere. He's going to win only one match in his life, and it will be against me.'

I didn't imagine that a few years later, he would sweep up Grand Slams, earn 100 million a year, and even become world number one."