As soon as he returns to action on the professional tour, Jannik Sinner will face the tough challenge of being very competitive even on red clay (the surface least suited to his game). It is no secret that the world number 1 has really huge ambitions this season and this three-month ban could be crucial to attempt the assault on the ‘Calendar Grand Slam’, a truly titanic feat that no one has succeeded since Rod Laver.
The French Open is certainly the hardest Major to win for a player with the characteristics of the Italian, who has been dominant on hard courts over the past year, creating a significant gap between himself and all his rivals.
Sinner will face a tough challenge
Despite clay being the toughest surface for him, the 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria has already shown that he can be very dangerous too, reaching the semifinals in Paris last year (when he surrendered to his top rival Carlos Alcaraz after a hellish five-set battle).
In addition, the 3-time Grand Slam champion has been able to work further athletically during this period and will immediately want to prove that he is the best in the world again. In addition to the Rome Masters 1000, Sinner will also play the Hamburg ATP before the second Grand Slam of the season.
On the latest edition of the ‘Nothing Major Podcast’, former American ace Steve Johnson discussed Jannik’s chances of triumphing at Roland Garros: “I like Sinner’s chances to win the French after getting a tournament in Rome under his belt. I think he will win the French and accumulate the most points over clay season.
He continued: “He hasn’t missed any time, he has missed tournaments but he could still be practicing every day and it is not like he is just going to pick up a racket for the first time before Rome and walk out there.
This is basically a three month off season for him. I bet he will come back and not miss a beat in the first couple of events.”
Tennis World USA