Jannik Sinner ‘may be risking injury’ if he presses ahead with his plans to play in Rome
If the next ATP Masters 1000 tournament was being staged in a different location, Jannik Sinner would almost certainly be sitting it out.
Yet if the hero of Italian sport announced he was skipping his home tournament in Rome in an effort to preserve his energy for an assault on his first title at Roland Garros, the kickback is likely to be pretty unpleasant.
The Italian media and tennis fans turned against Sinner a couple of years ago when he opted out of playing in their Davis Cup team, but his stunning success since then has erased any doubts over his status as a national hero.
Four Grand Slam titles, including an iconic first at Wimbledon for an Italian player last year, cemented Sinner’s place in the folklore of his nation and his adoring fans will be expecting him to be at his best when he plays in Rome.
The warning signs have been flashing for Sinner in recent days, as his decision to play at the Madrid Open ensured he has played an exhaustive schedule in recent weeks, with title wins in the ‘Sunshine Double’ at Indian Wells and Miami backed up by another stunning success in the Monte Carlo Masters.
More Tennis News
Jannik Sinner bests Djokovic, Nadal, Federer ATP Masters 1000 record, eyes another milestone
Sinner admitted after the last of those wins that he was contemplating skipping the tournament in Madrid due to the number of matches he has crammed in over the last couple of months and his predictable run to the final in Madrid sparked fresh fitness concerns.
“Look, I’ve played a lot in the last one and a half months. Going very, very deep in tournaments, it’s a good sign,” said Sinner.
““Of course, at the same time, you tend to get a little bit more tired, but I think and I believe when you play big matches; semi-finals, quarter-finals, finals — there is also adrenaline a little bit, that pushes [you].
“And then, between here and Rome, I try to recover again as much, and then we’ll see.”
Sinner’s comments will inevitably fuel fears that he is running low on energy after a draining run and as his great rival Carlos Alcaraz confirmed last month, overplaying is a dangerous game.
Alcaraz’s decision to play in Monte Carlo and then fly straight to Barcelona to play in front of his home fans proved to be a mistake, as he picked up a wrist injury that has ruled him out of the Italian Open and also the defence of his title at Roland Garros.
So while Sinner will feel compelled to play in Rome, he may also be pushing his body to a point that puts him into what strength and conditioning coaches would describe as the ‘red zone’, where he may be risking injury by continuing to play a relentless schedule.
Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.
With Alcaraz on the sidelines for the next few weeks at least, the door is wide open for Sinner to claim his first French Open title and join the elite list of tennis legends who have won all four Grand Slams.
As Alcaraz will confirm, pushing your body to breaking point is a dangerous game and Sinner needs to ensure his desire to entertain his fans in Rome does not derail his primary target.
READ NEXT: Jannik Sinner gives Italian Open update after ‘tired’ admission at Madrid Open
