In a modern world where attention is a currency so many are chasing, Jannik Sinner stands out for an alternative reason.
The Italian superstar who won his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January has a global profile that has seen him collect some lucrative sponsorship contracts over the last couple of years, with his long-term deal with Nike reported to be one of the biggest in tennis history.
Throw in Rolex, Lavazza, Parmigiano Reggiano, Technogym, Alfa Romeo, FastWeb, and Gucci to his collection and it is clear that Sinner is viewed as one of the most marketable men in world sport.
Yet despite his charm in interviews and the courtesy he shows to everyone who crosses his path, the world knows very little about Sinner the man.
“I like to talk about tennis and about sports in general, but when it comes to private life, I want to keep it that way,” says the world No 2.
“I want to protect the people who are close to me, keeping them out of my public life.
“I love it as a task to be done, almost a duty: they helped me, when I was younger, to gain confidence in myself, and today somehow I want to protect them.”
It is an approach that contrasts with a lot of high-profile celebrities, with the Netflix series Break Point focusing on some high-profile tennis relationships, such as the romance of Matteo Berrettini and Ajla Tomljanovic.
Tennis stars Katie Boulter and Alex De Minaur have embraced the media spotlight as they have been happy to talk about their romance and the relationship between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa has been headline news over the last couple of years.
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Now Sinner has started his own relationship with a tennis star, but we are unlikely to hear too much about his story with Russian star Anna Kalinskaya.
Sinner was in attendance as Kalinskaya played her first game at the French Open and he reluctantly spoke about the new romance after his opening match at Roland Garros.
“You know, I don’t like to talk much about my private life,” Sinner told reporters.
“Yes, I’m with Anna, but we keep everything very confidential. I won’t say more.”
Sinner’s eagerness to keep his private life away from the spotlight is refreshing in a social media age where sports stars of varying levels seek to use their successes on the field to get likes and followers on Instagram and other platforms.
With over 2.5million followers on Instagram, Sinner clearly has mass appeal without revealing too much about his personal life and according to six-time Grand Slam doubles champion and Netherlands Davis Cup captain Paul Haarhuis, his calm personality is one of his greatest qualities.
Haarhuis got a close-up view of Sinner’s demeanour on and off the court as his Netherlands team played Italy in last year’s Davis Cup finals and he told Tennis365 that his cool nature off the court helps him when he gets into the heat of battle.
“For an Italian, Sinner has that coolness and does not look like he is in a theatre playing a role,” Haarhuis told Tennis365 in an exclusive interview as he prepares to host coaching clinics at the Verdura Resort in Sicily over the course of this year.
“You look at other Italian players like Fabio Fognini and he was always quite dramatic. This was great because you could get the popcorn and settle in for the show.
“We have also seen that with other Italian players down the years. They tend to be quite excitable on court traditionally, but Sinner is different.
“What Sinner has got is a more German persona. He just shows up, goes about his business and he has it all.
“His athleticism, his shot-making and everything about his game is so wonderful to watch.
“I love how humble he is, how nice he is to everybody, how he says hello to everyone and makes them feel comfortable. He is just amazing for our sport.”
The flashlights may be clicking when Sinner and Kalinskaya step out in public, but the lack of images of one of the new golden couples of tennis will confirm this sporting superstar will do all he can to ensure his personal life does not become a sideshow for gossip writers.