RESTORED SINNER LIVING IN THE PRESENT
World No. 2 Jannik Sinner, who reached the fourth round at Roland-Garros in 2020, has faced criticism with resilience and determination. A year ago, ahead of Roland-Garros 2023, Sinner confidently told rolandgarros.com, “I’m not afraid of anybody, because I have great potential, I have the tennis, so it’s a question of time.”
Fast forward twelve months, and the determined Italian has realized his potential by winning his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January. However, his impressive season hit a roadblock due to a right hip injury sustained at the Madrid Masters last month. This injury forced Sinner to withdraw from his home Masters in Rome. Despite this setback, he has rested, recovered, and returned to Paris with hopes of another major title.
“The hip feels good. I’m not concerned anymore about my hip. The last tests we made, they were very positive. That’s why I’m here,” the 22-year-old stated.
Sinner acknowledged that his overall physical condition isn’t perfect, but he’s ready to compete. “For sure, the general physical shape is not there where I want it to be, but we cannot make miracles in less than 10 days before the first-round match. But I’m happy to be here. Look, it’s not been an easy period for me, not playing Rome, which is a very special tournament.
“Most importantly it’s going to be the mental side, of being mentally ready, accepting things that could happen on the court, and then we see what I can do.”
Despite limited preparation, Sinner maintains high expectations and optimism for his performance in Paris. With his characteristic humility, he avoids complacency and dismisses any guaranteed deep run as a top-tier seed.
“Look, pressure is a privilege. It’s not like I don’t have pressure or I have incredible pressure. I don’t like when people say you need to win or you need to be in the second week. You can, but you never need to. That’s my approach to the sport, no?
“When you say you have to, in my point of view, it’s already wrong. Every match you play, you still start from 0-0, and the better player wins. It’s very easy, the sport. I’m happy, the more important thing is to be happy. I know in my mind that I can play good tennis even with this kind of shape where I am right now, and hopefully, I can stay here longer than last year.
“I made second round last year. Let’s see what I can do this year.”
Amid media and fan speculation about the openness of this year’s men’s draw, Sinner remains focused on his own game.
“Look, at the moment, I look a lot about myself. I’m not looking around so much,” stated the Australian Open champion. “I come to the club, I do my things, and I’m away again.
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“I know that it might be a little bit more open, but I have my job to do on Monday, I have one opponent there. All these questions will be answered in a little bit more than two weeks. Nobody can tell the future.”
Sinner’s first-round opponent is world No. 43 Christopher Eubanks, whom he defeated in straight sets in their only previous encounter at the 2022 US Open.
“First-round match is going to be very tough. Not so much rhythm. He’s a different player, huge server. Let’s see what’s coming,” said Sinner. “For me, the most important are the next couple of days of practice sessions, hopefully to find a good rhythm and then we see what I can do.”
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