Sinner, everything happens for a reason. So the stakes are suddenly doubled: a golden opportunity.
How much water under the bridge has passed since the final in Rotterdam that Jannik Sinner lost after a resounding comeback to Daniil Medvedev? And how much has changed since the Russian, world No. 3, was a bit of a black beast for the South Tyrolean tennis player? So many, so many. More, certainly, than we could have imagined.
There was a time when the Italian seemed unable to come to grips with the Moscow champion’s game-rebus. He had no idea how to defuse him. So much so that Medvedev, one way or another, always managed to get away with it. Beijing then served, in a sense, as a watershed. It was there that the San Candido native succeeded for the first time ever in solving what had now become a real conundrum for him. And, from that moment on, there was no more for anyone. Neither for Daniil nor for the other opponents Jannik faced in the months to come.
Sinner, as will be remembered, also managed to beat him on the most important day of his career. When, that is, he played his first Slam final. Medvedev was close to a resounding 3-set victory, but suddenly the match “turned.” Everything changed. And it was Sinner, in the end, who raised to the sky the cup kept in the elegant suitcase signed Louis Vuitton.
Sinner, of reasons to make it there are two
In the highlights of the blue’s life, in short, Medvedev, in one way or another, is always there. He will not be in Rotterdam, however, and this is the most “interesting” news of the day. Because, in light of his absence, Jannik’s participation in the Atp 500 being played in the Netherlands could theoretically take on a completely different significance.
The Russian has withdrawn and will therefore not be able to defend the title he won last year. “Unfortunately,” is how he announced his decision, “I have to cancel myself from the tournament. After the Slam in Australia, which was particularly hard and long, my physique and especially my right foot are still not at their best. I love playing here, I have a good tradition in this tournament, I am looking forward to return in 2025″.
With Daniil absent, Jannik is concretely playing for a chance to climb to No. 3 in the Atp rankings. Should he win the Atp 500 in Rotterdam, in fact, he would surpass, if only by a whisker, the current third best player in the world. One more responsibility, then, in addition to the one we had already discussed here: will Sinner be able to break the taboo on the day after and climb to the podium of world tennis?