Jannik Sinner will make his debut at the Cincinnati Masters 1000 today. World number 1 hopes to get a good result in Ohio after the premature elimination in Montreal last week, wanting to play as many matches as possible in view of the US Open.
The last Grand Slam of the season will take place in New York at the end of August and promises to be a great show. After an incredible start to 2024, the young Italian has had more difficulty maintaining the same level in the last two months (also due to some physical problems).
The 2024 Australian Open champion was unable to play at the Paris Olympics due to a tonsillitis, which prevented him from training for about a week. Despite recent difficulties, Sinner is playing an amazing season in which he won his first Grand Slam in Melbourne and his second Masters 1000 (in Miami).
Sinner is shining in 2024
Jannik’s big goal is to keep the first position in the ATP ranking until the end of the season, but he will have to be careful of Novak Djokovic and especially Carlos Alcaraz. The Italian has a chance to earn points in Ohio this week, as he was eliminated in the second round last year.
On Monday, 12th August, Jannik Sinner has updated his most important record, not belonging to any other Italian tennis player in history. It is, of course, the weeks spent at the top of the world ranking ATP, a privilege has not had by other Italian tennis players in the Open Era and not only. With the new ranking updated, we have risen to 10 weeks in which the Italian ace was at the top of the ranking.
An achievement that allowed him to officially pass the Russian Marat Safin, who had been standing at 9 during his career: the Italian ace had already left, also, John Newcombe and Juan Carlos Ferrero at 8, Thomas Muster, Marcelo Rios and Yevgeny Kafelnikov at 6, Carlos Moyá (2) and Patrick Rafter (1). The 22-year-old from San Candido is thus in 21st place among tennis players with more weeks as World number one and now has, before him, all double digit players. The next champions in the sights are Boris Becker with 12 and Andy Roddick, who reached 13.
A goal within reach of the 2001 class, precisely because it is certain to remain in the lead of the ranking at least until the Us Open. Carlos Alcaraz, the biggest rival at this moment given the many points to defend by Novak Djokovic (winner in Cincinnati and will not participate; triumph last year in New York), will not be able to beat him even winning the tournament scheduled in Ohio. Everything is in fact postponed to Flushing Meadows, where the Spaniard will have an opportunity to put behind the Italian star. The goal of both is to close the season as number one and the final phase on indoor and outdoor concrete will be decisive to understand the first and second of the ranking at the end of the year.
Michelsen warns Sinner
Jannik Sinner will face young American Alex Michelsen in the second round of the Cincinnati Masters 1000. Speaking with the ATP website, the young American opened up on facing the World No.1: “I will go out to compete and give my best in every opportunity I have. I will never give up, and I am proud to compete.
The level he reached in the fifth set of his first Grand Slam final was quite epic. This match will be very fun, and I have nothing to lose. I will go out and try to do the best I can to play with freedom and have fun, and we will see what happens. I played against Zverev when he was ranked sixth in the world, and now I’m facing the number one. I have never played against a top 5 player, so it will be a new experience, that’s for sure.”
He also added: “Jannik has never seen my ball, and I’m sure I know much more about him than he knows about me. So I think that will also help me. I don’t think his game has changed much. I believe he has become much stronger, faster, and in better shape, but for me, I don’t think his game has changed much. I do think he has improved a few things. His serve has gotten better, and maybe his forehand has improved a bit, but the way he plays remains the same.”
Alex has a great talent, but Sinner will be clearly favored.