‘Leader’ Jannik Sinner ‘will be very hard to beat’ at the ATP Finals
Jannik Sinner has been backed to handle the pressure of being the favourite at the ATP Finals with his coach Darren Cahill saying “every time Jannik steps on the court, you expect him to win”.
The Italian – who will finish the 2024 campaign as the year-end No 1 – has been the best player on the ATP Tour this year as he has won the most titles (7), appeared in the most finals (8) and has the best win-loss record (65-6).
Two of his seven titles have been Grand Slams as he won the Australian Open and US Open while he also collected three ATP Masters 1000 trophies.
Sinner’s win at the US Open was particularly impressive as he was being “chased” by everyone as he was the top seed.
Cahill feels the world No 1 has proven his credentials although he concedes that winning is never a certainty, especially against Carlos Alcaraz as three of the Italian’s six defeats this year have been against the Spaniard.
“Every time Jannik steps on the court, you expect him to win. That’s not always possible: Alcaraz has beaten him three times this year, Jannik’s only success came in Riyadh, a qualifying exhibition,” the Australian told Corriere Della Sera.
“Each of the eight players is a favourite in Turin, of course Jannik is supported by memories: here he took a run-up for 2024, which opened with success in Australia.
“He likes the court, the city, the atmosphere, the fans are everything to him, the conditions to do well are there. It will be very hard to beat him. He has already shown that he can handle the pressure of being the favourite of a Slam in New York, he will do it here too.”
It is not just on-court pressure that Sinner has had to deal with this year as he was under immense strain following the doping scandal.
The 23-year-old tested positive for the banned substance Clostebol at the Indian Wells Open in March, but he was allowed to continue playing. The news only became public in August when he was cleared of any wrongdoing by the International Tennis Integrity Agency.
Jannik Sinner News
‘Big favourite’ Jannik Sinner backed to use home advantage in ATP Finals tilt
However, Sinner is not officially in the clear as the World Anti-Doping Agency has appealed against the outcome of Sinner’s doping case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Despite the controversy, Sinner’s leadership qualities have shown through.
“After what he went through, he understood that in life he can survive everything: nothing can scare him anymore,” Cahill said. “Two Slams, the year-end No 1: Jannik is an inspiration for me too, even though I’m an experienced coach.
“Everyone talks about the team that surrounds him, how important we are to him. But the opposite is also true: he is the leader, he is the one who leads the way. And if he is capable of it, it is because he knows he is innocent: he has done nothing wrong.
“Of course, Wada has appealed, we must wait for the CAS ruling. It is a serious matter, let’s not joke about it. Jannik is moving forward with his head held high, in the meantime.”
