Jannik Sinner is back in Cincinnati after being beaten in the quarter-finals of the Montreal Open by Andrey Rublev.
It ended up being four semi-finalists nobody really predicted.
While Andrey Rublev’s run to the final wasn’t completely surprising, his form this year didn’t suggest he’d put in such a strong showing.
Alexei Popyrin’s record-breaking victory has possibly been the surprise of the tennis calendar, after Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have dominated so far this year.
With the pair having won the first three majors so far this year, they are both expected to reach the latter stages of the US Open.
A successful year for Sinner this year after clinching his maiden major has been cast into doubt with the Italian suffering from both illness and injury recently.
With the 22-year-old this year becoming the first Italian player to become the world number one since the computerized singles rankings started in 1973, he has explained how he plans to keep his position at the top.
Jannik Sinner explains how he plans to stay as world number one
Desperately in the hunt for another major title and to keep up with Alcaraz, Sinner needs a deep run in Cincinnati.
Having only made the second round last year, he can pick up a large number of points if the top seed reaches the stages he should.
“We all have doubts sometimes,” said the 22-year-old Sinner to the Cincinnati press. “Even before I won a Grand Slam, I had some doubts if I could win one. Then you reach the point where you win it.
“After, in your mind, you know you can do it, but you still have to work a lot for that. If you want to hold the position, you have to improve.
“If you want to get better, you have to improve more than the others. It’s a balance of how much work you do and how much quality you can put into the work.”
With a challenging opening match again, Sinner will play American rising star Alex Michelsen for a place in the last 16.
Jannik Sinner’s fitness is starting to become a real concern
Along with Novak Djokovic and Alcaraz, the trio have comfortably organized themselves as a class above the rest.
With Alcaraz having won at Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and reaching the final of the Olympics, Sinner’s illness has slightly removed him from the conversation.
Despite Sinner’s latest fitness update, it is clear that he is not feeling his best, hobbling off after being beaten in three sets to the fiery Rublev.
It is becoming a slightly worrying streak as niggles and illness seem to be cropping up both increasingly frequently and at unwelcome times.
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