Latest hour, some speculate that the Majorcan champion may hang up his racket after the upcoming Roland Garros.
The highly anticipated Internazionali d’Italia did not start under the best auspices. It was supposed to be an opportunity for the Italian public to re-embrace – and cheer on – their favorite Jannik Sinner, who became world No. 2 after a dream first part of the season, during which he brought home the first Slam title of his career, the Australian Open. The South Tyrolean tennis player, however, was forced to forfeit.
A hip discomfort that has dragged on since the Monte Carlo tournament, where he surrendered in the semifinals to Stefanos Tsitsipas, prevented him from taking part in the Roman Masters 1000. His announcement last Sunday blindsided his fans who were looking forward to seeing him at work on the clay courts of the Foro Italico. Two days instead it was the turn of Matteo Berrettini, another of the most eagerly awaited. The Roman hammer at first had denied the hypothesis of a withdrawal-he was supposed to make his debut with compatriot Napolitano-but in the end he too had to surrender. In the press conference called last Wednesday, the 2021 Wimbledon finalist said he was not ready. He did not feel up to it, in short, to take the court after a nagging tonsillitis that has not allowed him to train in recent weeks.
Last hour, Gauff doesn’t get over it: “Strange to accept it “
Fear of a new injury, therefore, has taken over. Besides Berrettini and Sinner, the other absentee is Carlos Alcaraz, rising star of world tennis and current world number three.
It’s up to veterans Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal, that being the case, to take center stage. The spotlight is especially on the Majorcan champion, who may be playing his last matches before hanging up his racket. Some speculate that Nadal will decide to end his career at the next Roland Garros. And the big ceremony held for him in Madrid last week seems to confirm this thesis.
A farewell that certainly many, not only tennis lovers, will have a hard time digesting. These include U.S. tennis player Coco Gauff, the No. 3 seed in Rome. “It’s strange to accept it because for most of my life I’ve seen him win at Roland Garros, I guess he’s going through a delicate moment,” Gauff said during Media Day. “I was in Madrid and there it didn’t look like he was retiring, with the ceremony afterwards I wondered if this was real life or not. I am sad because he is one of my favorite players, I admire his mentality and intensity.”