Jannik Sinner gives injury update after Madrid Open battle
Jannik Sinner says he is “here to play” after feeling “better” during his three-set victory over Karen Khachanov at the Madrid Open.
The top seed rallied from a set down to beat Khachanov and reach the quarter-final in Madrid for the first time, with the Italian claiming a 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 victory.
It was the first time that Sinner had dropped a set in the Spanish capital but the fact he won will be reassuring to some, with there having been no guarantees he would take to court.
The world No 2 was evidently struggling in his previous encounter against Pavel Kotov on Monday night, repeatedly holding his hip during his 6-2, 7-5 triumph.
“I’ve struggled now a little bit in the last period with my right hip.. we’re trying to find a solution,” said Sinner after his match against Kotov.
“I don’t think it’s anything serious. But I can feel it. Sometimes I feel it more like today. Some days are a little better. Let’s see. I have a good team behind me.
“We’ll try to get my body going for tomorrow. We’ll decide tomorrow what’s best for me and best for the body. I’m looking forward to it, it’s gonna be a tough match.”
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However, despite the match being tougher on paper, the Australian Open champion looked much better physically and revealed afterwards he was moving in a positive direction.
He said: “I felt better than yesterday, the main objective is to get back to 100%. We worked a lot with my physio, it was a longer night than usual.
“I thought twice before taking the field, I decided after the warm-up. But I’m here to play.”
Sinner will hope he can stay fit and continue his stunning start to the season, which has seen him claim his maiden major and move to a high of second in the rankings.
Alongside winning in Melbourne, the 22-year-old has also claimed titles in Rotterdam and Miami, losing just twice this year; to Carlos Alcaraz in Indian Wells, and Stefanos Tsitsipas in Monte Carlo.
And after Madrid, he will head to Rome for an emotional and likely raucous homecoming at the Italian Open, where he will be the tournament’s poster boy – and face pressure to go deep into the draw.
It has been 48 years since a home men’s singles champion in Rome and it will be hoped that Sinner can end that duck, but all eyes will be on whether he can snatch the world No 1 ranking off Novak Djokovic.
A deep run in Rome could see him do just that, though he will likely need Djokovic to not go deep – and will also need to extend his run in the Spanish capital a little further.
Many will hope that he can reach the final in Madrid and face second seed Carlos Alcaraz in a title decider, with the Spaniard the two-time defending champion at the tournament.
