Jannik Sinner praised for making a smart decision recently which was Roger Federer-like

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Jannik Sinner looks determined to defend his title in Cincinnati, kicking off his campaign with two big wins.

In 2024, Sinner defeated Frances Tiafoe in the final to win the Cincinnati Open for the first time in his career.

Returning a year later, Sinner dominated Colombia’s Daniel Galan 6-1, 6-1, in his opener to advance to round three.

There, Sinner beat Gabriel Diallo, saving a set point in the second to win, 6-2, 7-6 [8-6].

As the world number one looks ahead to his last-16 clash with Adrian Mannarino, Sinner’s fellow Italian has praised him for making a smart decision recently.

Paolo Bertolucci says Jannik Sinner ‘followed in the footsteps’ of Roger Federer by skipping Toronto

Writing for La Gazzetta dello Sport, former Italian Davis Cup winner Paolo Bertolucci commented on Sinner’s recent scheduling decisions.

“Jannik [Sinner] has learned to know himself perfectly and is thus able to show up to every event in top physical and mental condition, marking a huge difference compared to his opponents, who may reach peak performance levels but fail to maintain them for long, suffering from a lack of consistency in results,” he said.

“The champion from Sesto Pusteria follows in the footsteps of [Roger] Federer, a true master of calendar management: as was the case with the Swiss, Jannik looks to the future rather than the present moment, and if the closeness of events risks compromising his preparation by overwhelming his muscles with unnecessary fatigue, he doesn’t hesitate to skip top-level events.”

Following his Wimbledon triumph, Sinner chose to withdraw from the Canadian Open, instead opting to return to action in Cincinnati.

In doing so, the Italian gave himself an extra week or so of rest, which could prove to be vital over the coming months.

Bertolucci likened the move to something Federer would have done during his playing days, as he continued on to explain just how effective the Swiss star was at managing his calendar.

“It’s no coincidence that for much of their careers, while [Roger] Federer was still running at the end of the season with plenty of fuel left in his tank, [Novak] Djokovic and especially [Rafael] Nadal had to contend with a surplus of fatigue,” he said.

The 74-year-old believes Sinner’s scheduling prowess has given him an edge over his closest rival in recent years.

“For this reason, Sinner has ended up becoming a point of reference in this regard even for his fiercest rival, Carlos Alcaraz, who until a year ago wasn’t exactly known for his concrete scheduling, so much so that the [ATP] Finals have been a struggle for him so far,” said Bertolucci.

“In recent months, however, even the Spaniard has come to understand that decisions about the competitive calendar are equally important, if not more decisive, than the power of his shots.”

Alcaraz followed Sinner in withdrawing from the Canadian Open, as he too made his return to the ATP Tour in Cincinnati.

Bertolucci thinks Alcaraz has learned his lesson with scheduling, as he rightly pointed out the disparity in results between him and Sinner during the latter stages of the year.

How did Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz perform post-Wimbledon in 2024?

When Wimbledon finishes, the stars of the ATP Tour switch to hard courts for the remainder of the season.

In 2024, Sinner and Alcaraz played six tournaments after Wimbledon, as one player enjoyed far more success than the other to close out the year.

Winning four titles, Sinner finished the year with a healthy lead atop the world rankings, while Alcaraz struggled for form except for one excellent week in Beijing.

Only time will tell if things will be different in 2025, but it will certainly be interesting to see how Alcaraz and Sinner perform.

Alcaraz will return to play his third-round match at the Cincinnati Open against Hamad Medjedovic on Tuesday, August 12, before Sinner plays Mannarino in the fourth round on Wednesday, August 13.