What Jannik Sinner said after winning the Paris Masters should have everyone else on the ATP Tour worried

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There was only ever going to be one winner at the Paris Masters as soon as Carlos Alcaraz exited the tournament in the early stages.

Following Alcaraz’s defeat to Cameron Norrie in round two, Jannik Sinner, inevitably, went on to secure his fifth ATP Masters 1000 title and 23rd overall.

Sinner also recaptured world number one status from his Spanish rival, and now the two will fight for the year-end top spot at the ATP Finals in Turin.

Outside of Alcaraz, the Italian is head and shoulders above every other player on the ATP Tour, particularly on his preferred surface of hard court.

While the rest of the locker room should already be concerned about their chances of winning titles with the ‘new two’ around, Sinner’s recent comments should worry them even more.

Jannik Sinner’s recent comments are a worrying sign for the tour

At the Paris Masters, Sinner became the fourth player in the Open Era to win the tournament without dropping a set, following Stefan Edberg, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Throughout the majority of his campaign, he was dealing with physical issues, but still managed to earn straight-set victories over the likes of Ben Shelton, Alexander Zverev and Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Despite being the world number one and dominating some of the best players in the world, Sinner is continuing to add to his game.

He said after the match: “The past couple of matches have been amazing. We have been trying to work on things and improve as a player, and seeing these kinds of results makes me incredibly happy.”

It’s a scary sign for the rest of the tour when the greatest player on the planet is still determined to get better, and Sinner’s improvements have certainly been showcased recently.

The 24-year-old has added more variety and unpredictability to his game, which is something he set out to do after losing the US Open final to Alcaraz.

What was once an outrageously consistent hard-hitting baseliner is now a star who is not afraid to go for the serve and volley, or to play a drop shot.

These changes could be seen in the Six Kings Slam final in Saudi Arabia against Alcaraz, and although it was just an exhibition, it was clear what Sinner had been working on since the US Open final in order to beat the 22-year-old.

Sinner is developing a playstyle that simply has no holes in it, and with his fierce mentality to go along with his ever-improving game, stars like Shelton, Zverev and Auger-Aliassime will likely be on the receiving end of even more straight-set defeats to him in the future, should they fail to keep up.

Jannik Sinner discusses his need to improve at each tournament

In his post-tournament press conference in Paris, Sinner was asked about how his game has developed since the US Open.

He responded: “I mean, if you go to a tournament of a hundred players, all hundred players, they want to improve, right? There is not one who is on the court just to hit some balls, you know.

“So I’m not doing something very special. I’m just doing the stuff that all the other hundred players are doing. I just put a lot of effort in. I really try to go over or out of my comfort zone at times, especially in practice sessions, to understand what can potentially give me something in the future.

“In the actual matches, you have to have a good balance of trying, but also winning, you know. It’s not like you try all the time, or you only play just to win every point.

“If you go to all the players, they’ve already been through the process that I’m going through. Everyone is working on stuff. There is no magic. There is a lot of work, and that’s it.

“Of course, if you have results like this, you are also more confident that the work you’re doing is the right one, but you always have to go through tough situations before and then some losses, you know, and then you understand what the right path and ways are.”

Sinner’s next appearance on the ATP Tour will come at the ATP Finals in Turin, where he will look to win the year-end competition for the second year in a row.