‘World-class’ Jannik Sinner named ‘one of the favourites during entire clay-court swing’
Stefanos Tsitsipas believes Jannik Sinner’s level has gone up several notches over the past year as he insisted the Italian will be one of the favourites at the Italian Open and Roland Garros.
Sinner is the form player on the ATP Tour as he won three titles at the backend of the 2023 season and steered Italy to the Davis Cup title and followed it up with another three titles at the start of 2024.
He is 25-2 this year having won the Australian Open, Rotterdam Open and Miami Open with Carlos Alcaraz and Tsitsipas the only players to have beaten him with the former winning in the semi-final of the Indian Wells Open and the latter securing a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 win in the last four in Monte Carlo.
Most of Sinner’s success, though, has come on hard courts and he has a 46–21 win-loss record (69%) on clay with his only title on the surface coming at the Croatia Open in 2022.
Following his title run at Monte Carlo, Tsitsipas was asked if he believes Sinner is capable of winning the Italian Open or Roland Garros this year and replied: “He is a very good tennis player in all surfaces. I think he has the game to play everywhere well.
“The last time that we played that was here, I see his level in a much different level than the last times that I think I played him in Rome, twice in Rome, actually, on clay. I wouldn’t count the hard courts because these are different, but I’m only comparing against a particular surface.
“So since the last two times that we played each other in those instances, he’s much better player now than he was back then. And I saw it the other day, he was pushing me to my limits, and I had to reach a level of physicality that I haven’t felt myself before in a long time.
“It was very small margins that played an important role in the development of that match. I do believe he’s one of the favourites during the entire clay court swing.”
READ MORE: ‘I hope not to see Jannik Sinner before Rome’ – former Italian star after Monte Carlo injury scare
Tsitsipas went on to defeat Casper Ruud 6-1, 6-4 in Sunday’s final and the Greek feels the fact that he beat the “world-class” Sinner in the semi-final shows he is on the rise again.
“If I have to compare my level of tennis with the last two times that I have won here, I would probably say this time has been the best that I have come up with some incredible tennis,” he said.
“You can easily say, ‘Stef, you won the first time here without dropping a set, wouldn’t that be the best performance that you have had in Monte-Carlo?’ I would tell you, ‘Not exactly’.
“I had an opponent in the semi-finals that is a world-class tennis player right now who refused to lose to anyone, and he’s been on a very good streak. So overcoming that obstacle, it’s definitely a sign that my tennis is progressing and I’m able to push those players.”
