Jannik Sinner will continue his 2024 season at the Cincinnati Open, and he expects to struggle a bit, which aligns with his previous performances in Cincinnati.
The Italian has historically been one of the better performers on hard courts in the past few years. He's been particularly deadly on the surface in the past year, winning a couple of significant events on the surface, but things haven't gone that well in Cincinnati for him.
While he won the Canadian Open last year, Sinner oddly never had a good outing in Cincinnati as he doesn't favor the conditions there. His best result there came in 2022 when he made the third round.
His run last year ended in the second round. Sinner also lost in the second round in 2021, so he's never made it past the third round in Cincinnati, and that's quite strange for a player of his qualities.
It might seem that this type of event would suit his style of play, but it hasn't so far. That's why this year will be a proper test for him. He hasn't played much tennis lately, as he missed a few events due to tonsillitis.
His return at the Canadian Open last week was a competitive showing, but it was far from his best. On top of that, he doesn't think he will find his best in Cincinnati, but he will certainly try.
The Italian is excited about the prospect of testing himself at an event where he has struggled over the years. Speaking ahead of the tournament, Sinner admitted that he might struggle again.
"Here usually I struggle a little bit to play because of the conditions, but I'm looking forward to see my reaction this year, because it's a great test for me."
"I believe that this tournament can give you a lot of confidence then for the US Open, which is the last Grand Slam we have throughout the year. So in my mind, this is a very important tournament."
It's an important tournament in the grand scheme of things because, as Sinner pointed out, how he plays in Cincinnati can greatly impact his confidence ahead of the US Open.
The courts in Cincinnati play fairly quickly, which is similar to how the courts in New York play as well. Sinner hopes to win a couple of matches and further increase his confidence ahead of the US Open.
He's had some really good performances at Flushing Meadows, and many consider him one of the favorites to win the tournament, simply because he's been one of the best performers this year and is ranked No. 1 in the world.
Still, there will be a couple of players vying for that trophy, as Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz have both won it in the past. Sinner never made the final, but he's been outstanding in recent years, so if he can find his best tennis, he will be dangerous.
"We go day by day. Today is my first practice day. Let's see how it feels… I have a couple of days to prepare and hopefully show some good tennis."
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