Jannik Sinner’s absence from tennis in recent months, through injury and illness, has been a huge blow for the sport.
After all, the way in which he started 2024 suggested that few would manage to beat him all year, and yet things have waned since these frustrating setbacks have crept in.
Fortunately, after making the tough decision to opt out of the Olympics, he has enjoyed a much-needed rest.
Now, set to return in Montreal this week, Jannik Sinner has provided a fitness update for his fans.
Jannik Sinner offers injury update
Speaking at his press conference ahead of his return to tennis, having been dumped out of Wimbledon in the quarter-finals before then missing the Olympics, both due to illness, much of the focus was around his fitness.
After all, 2024 has been a mesmeric year for the Italian, having won his maiden Grand Slam title as well as the Masters 1000 event in Miami.
But, his Roland Garros campaign was mired by a hip injury which forced him to retire in Madrid and miss Rome altogether, before his visible illness at Wimbledon saw him beaten by Daniil Medvedev.
Fortune has not really been on his side, but this update seems far more positive ahead of the Montreal Open, Cincinnati and then the US Open.
He noted: ‘Health wise I feel much, much better. Obviously, the body has to get used to the practice sessions. But I’m happy to be here. It’s a special place. Everything started for me a little bit one year ago, starting from the semis at Wimbledon, so it’s nice to come back to Canada.
‘Obviously saying no to the Olympics, which was my main goal throughout the season, I said it already at the beginning of the year, but you have to accept it in one way and restart from here.’
Djokovic theorised why Sinner missed the Olympics, but always expected him to come back stronger.
A fully fit Jannik Sinner could once again challenge Alcaraz and Djokovic
It seems that, in his absence throughout this summer, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have reignited their duopoly over the sport. After all, before Sinner claimed the Australian Open title back in January, all of the last six Grand Slam titles had gone to one of the aforementioned pair, admittedly with four going the way of the Serbian.
Since then, the Spaniard has taken two more as well.
Not only that, but they had also contested some huge battles, with the last two Wimbledon finals seeing them meet, followed by a historic 2023 clash in Cincinnati before the 22-year-old crept onto the scene.
Although Sinner was beaten by Djokovic during the 2023 Wimbledon semi-finals, as he noted, that marked the catalyst for what was to come.
He then went on to overcome the Serbian three times in as many months, first in the ATP Tour finals round robin, then the Davis Cup, and then most recently in Melbourne.
Once again, with Alcaraz and Djokovic threatening to tighten their stranglehold on the sport, Sinner must re-emerge to disrupt this.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
