Jannik Sinner: His legendary coach is adamant: “He’s at the top of the mountain—that’s how much he’ll win.”
Jannik Sinner shows no signs of slowing down: after winning Wimbledon for the second consecutive year, the Italian has set his sights on the U.S. Open to claim his sixth career Grand Slam title. Rival Carlos Alcaraz is set to return, Novak Djokovic is always lurking, and Alexander Zverev has raised his game, but according to Rick Macci, the Italian remains the favorite.
“Sinner is at the top of the mountain just like he was as a child, when he’d reach the summit and zoom down the slope like a turbocharged Italian race car, dreaming of becoming a ski champion. Now it’s all downhill from here for the ‘Red Rocket.’ I believe that, barring injuries, he’ll end his career with more than 20 Grand Slams under his belt.”
Macci defended Sinner’s decision to skip Montreal: “Sinner is a winner because athletes know their own bodies better than anyone. The Grand Slams are the most important tournaments, and preparing for New York is the most crucial step. Why participate in an event just for the sake of it if you don’t feel physically and mentally ready? Players should always choose carefully; it’s not about money or not wanting to lose. To be at your best, the magic word is rest.”
Meanwhile, Sinner has completed every step with his usual meticulousness. On Friday, August 1, he reported to J-Medical in Turin for a second round of routine checkups supervised by Dr. Luca Semperboni, fifteen days after his first visit, which took place immediately following his Wimbledon triumph. No cause for alarm: this is a planned monitoring process, part of the program initiated after his health scare at Roland Garros, which led the medical staff—working with Professor Zangrillo’s team at San Raffaele Hospital in Milan—to establish precise guidelines on heat management, nutrition, hydration, and training loads. A strategy that paid off at Wimbledon.
Now the countdown has officially begun: Sinner will depart on Sunday, August 9, for Cincinnati, where his participation in the Masters 1000 is confirmed, before flying to New York for the U.S. Open, which begins on August 30. At Flushing Meadows, the Italian has already made his mark: in 2024, he won the title by defeating Taylor Fritz in the final; in 2025, he returned to compete for the trophy but lost to Carlos Alcaraz. This time, he’s aiming for his sixth career Grand Slam title, with a well-defined training plan, his physical condition monitored down to the smallest detail, and the confidence of someone who knows exactly when and how to perform at his best.
