Sinner in the US Open final: How he got there

Jannik Sinner’s American dream is turning into a splendid reality. Only the last step is missing to win another Slam, the second of an incredible 2024 for the successes and everything that the world number one has had to experience first-hand. Winning the final in New York tomorrow night and what’s more against Taylor Fritz, a home athlete, would mean sending a message of strength to all the competition and sweeping away at least for a while the bad thoughts and controversies that had nested in his head in this last period. During the US Open the Italian champion grew match after match, constantly raising the level of his performance. That unfortunate set clearly lost in the first round against McDonald is now just a distant memory.

the pressure grows, Jannik grows

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From a Jannik who suddenly seemed lost, we moved quite quickly to the player we know. Determined, implacable, who leaves nothing to chance. Playing tennis on a stage like the Big Apple was the best medicine. The Italian went ahead in the tournament without too many problems while his direct opponents fell one after the other: Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, short of fuel also due to the Olympic stress, surrendered in the first rounds; Alexander Zverev threw in the towel in the quarterfinals. So Sinner found himself with only Daniil Medvedev on his path. An early final, which our standard-bearer made his own without any particular problems. Tonight’s match against the bomber Jack Draper was perhaps tougher than expected. The important thing, however, was to take home the victory and so it was.

the number one

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Of course, it was difficult to predict a top season like the one the Italian tennis player is completing. His has been a great progression that could have been even better if it hadn’t been for the hip injury in Madrid, the illness at Wimbledon, the tonsillitis that prevented him from participating in the Paris Olympics and the doping case that certainly weighed on his performance from a psychological point of view. Despite all this, Jannik, barring any sudden collapses, will finish the year sitting comfortably on the throne of world tennis. It would be an exceptional result for the entire Italian movement that is enjoying his wake. The performances of Lorenzo Musetti (Olympic bronze in Paris), Matteo Arnaldi and Flavio Cobolli are the best testimony to this. Sinner has grown a lot, today he is a more complete player, his catalogue of shots has been enriched with an extremely effective and often winning first serve. Just as the drop shot has become an important weapon that allows him to vary his game at any time, especially against opponents with a pounding rhythm like Medvedev. Compared to twelve months ago, in short, his game is more difficult for opponents to decipher and counter.

at work

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Together with his staff he will certainly have to learn to manage his body that too often causes him problems. This will mean, where possible, giving up some tournaments. Today’s tennis, thanks to the intensity and the increasingly high-performance equipment, has become a tough and demanding sport. And the very busy calendar certainly doesn’t help to recover. To become an all-round champion he will then need to work further to adapt his tennis to the good old clay. It is true that the clay season is increasingly shorter but the home tournament, the Rome International, and the Roland Garros, are two trophies that must not be missing from his trophy cabinet. The rival of the future, namely Alcaraz and Djokovic himself on clay, are still superior. Sinner’s hunting ground has always been concrete. It is no coincidence that his great victories have been obtained on this surface. Starting with the Australian Open in January that started his ride towards Olympus, then moving on to the Masters 1000 in Miami and Cincinnati. Now we need to settle the score in New York to reiterate, once again, who is the true number one in world tennis.