Jannik Sinner has cruised through his opening round at the Cincinnati Open at a canter, yet took time to admit he’s struggling with one thing already at the event.
It might seem strange to think that anything would hamper the relentless Italian, who has the kind of game style that remains unfazed regardless of surface, conditions, the balls or the fans.
And yet, when asked to sum up his game, he made a stark admission to Tennis Channel, completely unprompted.
This marked a refreshing show of honesty from Jannik Sinner, despite having just won his fastest ATP match of the year against Daniel Elahi Galán.
Jannik Sinner comments on the Cincinnati Open conditions
He began by rating his level against the Colombian, whom he swept aside 6-1, 6-1.
Sinner admitted: “Yeah, I would say that I’m obviously very happy to be back here. It’s a special place for me. Last year was an amazing year for me, so let’s see what’s coming this time, but it’s very difficult to play here.
“I feel like the ball is flying. It’s very fast. So when you lose confidence with a couple of shots, it makes it very, very difficult to play.
“So I’m very happy about today’s performance, playing against a qualifier. It’s not easy, so I’m happy about today, and let’s see what’s coming.”
Asked how he is dealing with this issue, he continued by claiming: “Um, no, actually, you have to go for it, and that’s my personal feeling.
“I’ve been here for about five days or so. We haven’t had one day when it was very windy. I feel like when here it’s windy, it gets obviously more difficult, but, you have to commit. You have to go for it, you have to be positive, and with a good attitude on the court, and obviously, fighting for the ball.
“I think this then slowly helps you to find a good rhythm, and, yeah, that’s exactly what I’m trying to do.”
Sinner has already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, despite having played just five tournaments all year. At the moment, it feels like every event he enters, he’s expected to win.
Who is Jannik Sinner’s next opponent at the Cincinnati Open?
Things should, on paper, get much harder for the 23-year-old, as he is now due to face Gabriel Diallo in the Cincinnati Open Round of 32.
The towering Canadian’s game is built around his fearsome serve, and this year in particular, he has combined it with a rock-solid play style that has troubled some of the very best on tour.
At Wimbledon, he dragged Taylor Fritz into a five-set thriller, and has even beaten stars like Cam Norrie and Grigor Dimitrov.
This culminated in his maiden ATP title at the Libéma Open.
Also still quite new on the tour, Diallo should pose a threat to Sinner, who is bidding to retain his crown in Cincinnati before mimicking that feat at the US Open.
