Jannik Sinner makes brutally honest confession as he prepares for ‘biggest test’
Jannik Sinner admitted he was concerned by an alarming slump in form mid-way through his match against Dutch lucky loser Jesper de Jong.
World No 1 Sinner was given a euphoric ovation by the Italian fans once again as he continues his comeback from a three-month doping suspension, with his 6-4, 6-2 win over De Jong giving him a chance to build some momentum ahead of this month’s French Open.
Yet he admitted there was a period in his match against De Jong that gave him some concerns, as he put a temporary slide in form down to his absence from the court in recent months.
“It was a completely different match from the first one, different conditions,” he began.
“I felt like I started the match very well and then I had this drop. I tried to understand what was going on.
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“Normally this drop can be one and a half games, but today it was three games, but this is normal. It’s the second match I’ve played in three and a half months and this is a long time.
“Being able to play a third match here is already very, very good for me and my progress. Then we will see what’s coming.”
There were worrying scenes towards the end of the match as De Jong slipped on the court and appeared to damage his wrist, with Sinner quick to offer some support to his young rival.
Now he is preparing for what will be the toughest test of his comeback today, with a match against Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo set to be a blockbuster occasion for the Italian favouirte.
“Last time I played here, I lost against him here on this court,” added Sinner, as he reflected on a three-set loss to Cerundolo in the round of 16 two years ago.
“It’s going to be tough. For sure, I have to raise my level if I want to play even.
“I’m trying to understand where my game is, so it’s going to be a good challenge, good test for me.”
The head-to-head between Sinner and Cerundolo is level at 2-2, with the Argentine’s other ‘victory’ over Sinner coming as the Italian was forced to retire in their 2022 encounter at the Miami Open.
Cerundolo is currently sitting at a career-high ranking of No 18 and he has been notching up the wins against top 10 opponents consistently in recent months.
The 26-year-old is a huge test for any opponent on a clay court and has two wins on the surface against world No 2 Alexander Zverev this year.
“I hate playing him, to be honest,” admitted Zverev when asked about Cerundolo prior to his opening match in Rome.
“I mean, I think outside of the top guys, like Jannik and Carlos, he’s probably the most difficult for me to play.
“Haven’t really figured out how to play him. Haven’t really figured out a way to beat him, which shows on the record.”
Sinner will now have to solve the riddle that has proved to be a little too complex for Zverev, with the Italian certain to send out a big message to his rivals if he can find a way past Cerundolo.
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