Why is Jannik Sinner wearing a sleeve on his arm? World No 1 reveals all
Jannik Sinner is back in action at the Cincinnati Open, and has so far been in impressive form at the Masters 1000 event.
It took just 59 minutes for the world No 1 to breeze past Daniel Elahi Galan in the second round, before a straight-sets win over 30th seed Gabriel Diallo fired him into the round four in Cincinnati.
It is Sinner’s first event since he claimed his fourth Grand Slam title and first Wimbledon title last month, and much like in the latter stages of action at SW19, he is wearing a new accessory: a sleeve.
Here, we look at why the world No 1 is donning a new item of clothing this summer.
Wimbledon injury
The reason for Sinner wearing a sleeve dates back to Wimbledon, and a match in which he recently conceded to having had a “lucky” escape from.
Sinner slipped over in the opening game of his fourth-round match versus Grigor Dimitrov inside Centre Court, falling directly on his elbow.
Evidently in discomfort throughout the contest, the world No 1 fell two sets to love down, only for Dimitrov to then suffer a sudden pectoral injury and dramatically retire early in set three.
That gave Sinner a stay of reprieve and, crucially, time to address the elbow injury sustained in the opening points of the match.
The Italian returned to court wearing an arm sleeve for the first time in his quarter-final clash against Ben Shelton, beating the American in straight sets.
He would then wear the sleeve for his semi-final against Novak Djokovic and final against Carlos Alcaraz, beating both convincingly to lift the title.
A month on from his triumph and from the initial injury, Sinner is still donning the ‘sleeved’ look in Cincinnati, attracting attention during his opening two matches.
However, the 23-year-old insists that there is nothing to worry about physically – and that wearing the sleeve is currently more of a personal choice.
“The elbow is good. Today was the first time that I put a sleeve on because I liked the feeling of the sleeve,” he said.
“It gives a little bit more impact with the ball, it’s slightly more stable. That’s my point of view, and I liked it in Wimbledon.
“I have to see how it is when it’s very hot and humid, because it’s a little bit different, so it’s going to be something that I’m going to take into consideration, but I really love the feeling it gives of pure striking.”
#BelieveInTheSleeve
While it is not a common accessory to wear, Sinner is not the first player to don a sleeve while playing.
Perhaps the most famous example is that of Milos Raonic, a former world No 3 and runner-up at Wimbledon back in 2016.
The Canadian started wearing a sleeve as protection from the sun, though it ultimately became one of the most recognisable parts of his game.
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The hashtag #BelieveInTheSleeve became synonymous with the eight-time ATP Tour champion, and the likes of Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka hailed the star’s unique look on court.
Despite its previous popularity with Raonic, Sinner insists that his use of the sleeve is purely practical – and not intended as any form of fashion statement.
“As I said when I came here, the impact of the ball is a bit different. And I feel it better if I would not wear it. I don’t wear things just because of style, you know?”
“At the moment, I feel comfortable. With the heat, it’s actually OK. It’s not too much. I tried the black sleeve, it makes a difference, with the black sleeve. But the white one under these conditions is no problem.”
Sinner is now a perfect 5-0 in matches since wearing the sleeve, with the opening set against Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final the only set he has dropped in that time.
How much longer he continues to wear it remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that it has not hindered him to date.
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