Jannik Sinner’s coach gives update on elbow injury ahead of Carlos Alcaraz blockbuster
Jannik Sinner’s elbow is still not 100% following his fall in the fourth round at Wimbledon with his coach Simone Vagnozzi admitting they still have to “manage it”.
The world No 1 came close to a shock exit at the hands of Grigor Dimitrov in the last 16 of the grass-court Grand Slam as the Bulgarian dominated the encounter before he was forced to retire.
The three-time Grand Slam winner’s cause was not helped by the fact that he took a tumble in the opening game of the match and required treatment after hurting his arm, but there was no doubt that Dimitrov’s level was a few levels above that of the Italian as he was up 6-3, 7-5, 2-2 when he had to quit due to a pector muscle injury.
Sinner went for an MRI scan after the match and was given the all-clear to take on Ben Shelton in the quarter-final. He played strapped below and arm sleeve, but didn’t appear to be troubled as he beat the American in straight sets. It was a similar story in the semi-final as he also brushed aside tennis great Novak Djokovic in three sets.
Up next is two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the final and Vagnozzi told Ubitennis: “We’re managing it. It’s getting better every day.
“When you’re on the court, during the match, it’s not even easy to understand what’s happening. Then we did an MRI and several tests; he’s managing it well and is focusing on what he can do.”
When asked if the 24-year-old is taking painkillers, he replied: “I’d rather not go into details.”
The last time Sinner played against Alcaraz was just over a month ago in the French Open final and the Italian appeared to be on course to win as he won the opening two sets before Alcaraz won the third set.
The Italian then had three match points in the fourth sets, but again his rival fought back to save them before winning in five sets.
Alcaraz leads their head-to-head 8-4, having won their last five encounters, but Vagnozzi says it will be 50-50 in the Wimbledon final.
“I think Sinner versus Alcaraz matches are now 50-50. We saw in Paris how it was decided on just a few points, and it will be the same,” he said. “Here, the playing styles change a bit because it’s harder to defend, the serve matters more, and the movement is worse.
“I think the match will still be 50-50. We’ll see who can take advantage of the opportunity and who will be in better shape that day.”
Wimbledon News
Former British No 1 has a message for Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz amid ‘Big 3’ comparisons
Will Alcaraz have a psychological advantage after coming back from the brink of defeat in Paris?
Vagnozzi doesn’t think the French Open final defeat left any scars on Sinner.
“As I said after Paris, I don’t think Jannik was diminished by the final,” he said. “He went to his favourite surface, Alcaraz, and he played very well; he came really close to winning.
“Of course, you don’t leave the court feeling overjoyed (smiles), but you have to be happy with the level you’ve reached, even on a surface like clay, which isn’t the favourite.”
