Jannik Sinner reached the 2024 Cincinnati Open final, and after getting there, he made an open admission about the need to become stronger physically to compete with some of the best players in the world.
For the first few years of his tennis career, Sinner was known to be a very talented player, but also one that was physically weak. His frame has always been on the thinner side, because that's just his body type, but the frequent injuries and minor physical ailments indicated a player who could gain a lot from getting stronger.
There has been a lot of emphasis on that part of his game in recent years, and he's gotten stronger recently. It's visible in how he plays and his track record with injuries later in his career.
It has not been perfect, but it has been much better than it was in the years before. His run at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati is another testament to that.
He played back-to-back three-set matches against tough opponents but prevailed in both. That might not have been the case in the past, but it is certainly something he can improve upon.
Sinner has discussed the need to improve physically in the past, and he's still of that opinion because there is a lot more room to grow. Compared to some of his contemporaries, the 23-year-old still isn't considered one of the physically more imposing players, and he needs to get to that level if he hopes to regularly challenge for trophies.
He talked about that after his win over Alexander Zverev, which sent him into the final of the tournament, in which he will play against Frances Tiafoe.
"It means a lot to me. It's a very different moment, what I'm going through, so I'm very happy about this result, in any case what's coming tomorrow. The physical aspect, of course, I have to improve, because if I want to win Grand Slams or a bigger title, I have to be, for sure, more in shape."
He recently played a couple of challenging matches, going to the distance with both Andrey Rublev and Zverev. Observing how that might impact him against Tiafoe will be interesting, especially given his struggles with his hip, which has bothered him against the German.
The admission that he needs to be better physically can be read as if he was already fatigued. It's only natural after those tough matches that he had to endure recently. Staying in the match mentally is something he underlined as important, and he's ready to see what the challenge of facing Tiafoe will bring.
"But I just tried to stay there mentally, which I'm very proud [of], and let's see what's coming tomorrow. More matches than this year I cannot play to prepare for the US Open. So I am very happy."
The Italian will be favored to win simply because he's considered the better player, but it won't be easy. Tiafoe has beaten him in the past and will surely be motivated. The crowd might factor in as well, as might Sinner's overall physical shape.