Jannik Sinner’s grass court season will begin at the Halle Open this week, where he is the defending champion.
He’ll play in the opening round at the event against qualifier Yannick Hanfmann, in what marks the Italian’s first match since the French Open final.
Sinner lost to Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros in a five-set thriller that lasted five hours and 29 minutes, despite having a two-set lead in the clash with his rival.
The world number one became the third man in the Open Era to lose a Grand Slam final after having a match point, joining Roger Federer and Guillermo Coria.
It was a brutal defeat for Sinner, who said it’s been a difficult one to get over as he prepares for his title defence in Halle.
Jannik Sinner says what has happened to him since the French Open final
Reflecting on the French Open final ahead of the Halle Open, Sinner said: “I’ve had a few sleepless nights. It’s not easy to get over that.
“But it got better with every day that passed. You then have to focus on what tasks lie ahead, and also realise for yourself: You’ve never played as well on clay as you are now in Paris.
“The best way to get rid of the negative thoughts is to play another tournament. Then, quite simply, you have to perform at your best on the court again.
“I’m definitely mentally ready again for every match here in Halle. The first training session was still a bit difficult. But here too, the feeling gets better with every shot.”
On overcoming frustration in the last few days, he said: “I’ve been at home and spent a lot of time with family and friends.
“That’s always a haven of peace for me, the home environment. It was really relaxed, and we had a nice barbecue together. I didn’t notice much of the tennis.”
Jannik Sinner reacts to holding the world number one ranking for a year
Having held the position since June in 2024, Sinner is now the tenth player in history to hold the world number one ranking for over a year.
He joins Federer, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, and Novak Djokovic, among others, to have completed the feat.
On having the ATP number one status, Sinner said: “I’m obviously incredibly proud to have achieved this. I never dared to dream of it.
“For me, my career was never primarily about this or that place, but first and foremost about getting the best out of myself.
- Players to have held the number one ranking for over a year: Roger Federer, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Novak Djokovic, Pete Sampras, Lleyton Hewitt, John McEnroe, Rafael Nadal, Jannik Sinner, Andre Agassi.
“I’ve heard that only Roger Federer, Jimmy Connors, Novak Djokovic and Lleyton Hewitt have achieved this so far [been number one for over a year].
“It’s an honour for me to be part of such a group. On the other hand, you write your own story above all, apart from these statistics.”
Sinner is still 2000 points above Alcaraz in the ATP rankings, and will have more points to gain at Wimbledon this year, where he made the quarter-finals in 2024.
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