Reportage
O’Connell: from cleaning ships to trying to stop Sinner
The Australian is aware of the power of the Italian
March 26, 2024
Peter Staples/ATP Tour
By Andrew Eichenholz
Christopher O’Connell will be the center of attention this Tuesday as he faces Jannik Sinner for a place in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open. Thousands of fans will flock to Hard Rock Stadium to watch the Australian try to upset the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin No. 1.
Surprisingly, six years ago, O’Connell was cleaning boats instead of playing tennis.
“I’ve talked a lot about that story, I probably never should have told it,” O’Connell said with a laugh. “Sometimes I think about moments like that, when I was working at home. I see myself where I am now and I can believe it, but I don’t really believe it. I hope I can stay here for longer.”
By 2018, O’Connell had suffered “too many injuries” and sought a break from the sport. She even considered training children and giving clinics, but she didn’t want to be on a tennis court.
Thus, the Australian chose to live in a bay in Sydney with his brother Ben, who invited him to clean boats.
“My thought was ‘great, I don’t have to teach anyone how to hit a forehand, I can clean boats and relax.’ That’s what I did in the mornings and during the afternoons I would ride my bike out to the bay,” O’Connell said in 2020. “I did this from February to June. The pay was terrible and everyone thought I was crazy because I could make money training. But I didn’t want to step foot on a tennis court.”
O’Connell dropped his PIF ATP Rankings. Since then, however, he has climbed to the top of the ATP Tour. In July 2022, the Sydney player broke into the Top 100 for the first time and has remained in that elite group since November 2022.
“Every year I feel like I’m improving details here and there. This season I notice that I’ve made progress again. I play tennis to face guys like Sinner,” O’Connell said. “I’m very motivated. He wasn’t the player he is now. I beat him in Atlanta a couple of years ago, but I’m sure he’s going to come out fired up to change history this time.”
In 2021, when Jannik was 19 years old, O’Connell beat the Italian 7-6,(7), 6-4 in Atlanta. It is the only precedent of the Lexus ATP Head2Head between the two.
“I think I had some luck. He was coming off the grass tour and it was his first tournament on the hard courts in the United States,” O’Connell recalled. “I remember its power. Atlanta has quite fast courts, it is difficult to control the balls and I arrived quite early in the tournament. But that was my first reaction when facing us, the ease it has to generate force from any point.”
Sinner recalled the match to the press after beating Tallon Griekspoor in the third round.
“He’s a good player. He has a good serve and moves really well. He’s a tough tennis player,” Sinner said. “My coaches have to review that game, that’s going to give me some context. I think I have to stay focused on my things and what I have to do.”
“It will be a complicated match,” added the Italian. “Nobody reaches the fourth round of a big tournament by chance, I have to be very careful.”
Sinner started the season 16-0, including winning his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open. The Italian did not know defeat until the Indian Wells semifinals against Carlos Alcaraz. Precisely, O’Connell compared a young Sinner with a young Alcaraz.
“I faced [a Alcaraz] when I was about 16 in a Challenger and felt exactly the same. It’s something special,” O’Connell said of the power of both. “[Algo parecido a] Shelton at the Australian Open. “These guys have a different strength.”
O’Connell knows perfectly well the challenge he faces and the need to display his best tennis to compete against the second seed. “He hits the ball with total cleanliness and is inspired this year. He arrives full of confidence,” said the Australian about his next rival.
However, this is the kind of moment O’Connell has been waiting for. Six years ago he was cleaning boats. Now, he is ready to show his talent to the world.