Jannik Sinner confirmed that he did not have a great feeling with the Masters 1000 in Paris-Bercy. The world number 1 – who plays his best tennis in indoor conditions – has never achieved great results in the last Masters 1000 of the season, at least up to this point in his career.
Jannik Sinner, Six Kings Slam 2024© Stream screenshot
The Italian ace achieved his best result in the French capital at the round of 16 in 2023, when he did not play his round of 16 match against Alex de Minaur arguing with the tournament organizers because of the schedule. After playing a really impressive 2024, the 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria was the most expected player in Bercy this year along with Carlos Alcaraz. The two young champions recently faced each other in the ATP 500 finals in Beijing and the ‘Six Kings Slam’ in Saudi Arabia, which is why French fans were dreaming of seeing a new chapter in their exciting rivalry.
Yesterday morning, the two-time Grand Slam champion shocked everyone by announcing his forfeit due to an intestinal virus. Jannik made it clear that this was not a serious matter and that he should be ready to return to action in a few days. It’s no mystery that Sinner’s two main goals in this last part of the season are the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin and the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.
Sinner will be in Turin on Sunday
The decision to skip the Paris-Bercy tournament will not have any major repercussions for Jannik in the ATP ranking, having a huge advantage over his rivals and being already certain to end the season as number 1 in the world. After announcing his forfeit, Sinner left Orly on a private flight to Nice, where he made a brief stop before returning to Monte Carlo.
The world number 1 will be resting for a few days and will return to practice with his coach Darren Cahill later this week. Sunday is the private departure for Turin, home of the Nitto ATP Finals. There is no doubt that the 2-time Grand Slam champion will be the top favorite in Turin, mainly for two reasons. Sinner will benefit from the support of his fans, who will not let him miss their love in the last big event of the ATP season. Secondly, the Italian ace loves that surface and already last year he had shined by giving up only to Novak Djokovic in the final.
Jannik Sinner, Paris Masters 2024© Stream screenshot
Just before the start of the French tournament, the world number 1 had spoken about his current level: “I think we’ve made some very good decisions throughout the year, trying to be prepared for the end of the year as well. I’ve also been lucky not to have played many tournaments and to always go far in them, which has been very good for me. My level seems to be good. I will answer these questions later on the court, but in general, speaking of my mental state, it’s good. I’m happy to be here, and obviously, my main event in Turin is the key year-end event. One of my goals since the beginning of the year was to qualify, so we’ll see.”
He also spoke about the approval of coaching: “I don’t think things are going to change significantly. Even now, some coaches still give advice from time to time. I believe in this sport you are alone as a player on the court and you try to understand the situation by yourself. You already have a connection with the coach, so you understand what they are talking about and suggesting, so I don’t think things will change much. We didn’t see a big change when there was no coach because you see the coach, you’ve understood them for years, and you know what to expect.”
Two major goals
Jannik’s goals also include the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, where Italy will try to repeat last year’s magnificent triumph. Unlike 2023, the Italian team will also be able to count on Matteo Berrettini this year. The 2021 Wimbledon finalist was unable to play last year due to an ankle injury, while he is expected to be called up by Filippo Volandri for this edition.
Jannik Sinner© Shanghai Rolex Masters/Instagram – Fair Use
Actually, the other Italian players are not shining at this time. Lorenzo Musetti and Matteo Berrettini have already been eliminated at the Paris Rolex Masters, while Matteo Arnaldi struggled a lot in the second part of the season (except for the excellent result obtained in Montreal during the summer). As if that were not enough, Flavio Cobolli is still injured and Lorenzo Sonego has not had a positive season.
