Daniil Medvedev also comes to Jannik Sinner’s defense: “I can understand him”

Jannik Sinner’s absence from Montreal has drawn the attention of colleagues and rivals. And following Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev has also broken his silence to defend the South Tyrolean’s decision not to take part in the Canada Open. The Russian—one of the current No. 1 player’s most prominent rivals on the ATP Tour—fully justified Sinner’s choice to lighten his schedule, which will resume in Cincinnati but already has the U.S. Open marked as the next key date.

“The fact that Sinner decided not to play in Montreal is understandable,” Medvedev said, as reported by ‘Il Messaggero’. “I can understand it; when you’re winning, it’s never easy. Then, when you’ve been playing so many consecutive tournaments for a long time, there’s very little time left. All the more so if you’re coming off a Wimbledon victory. Jannik now has a major goal: the U.S. Open. So he’s decided to skip the Canada Open to prepare for his main objective, and he’ll do so in the best possible way.”

As mentioned, Alexander Zverev is on the same page; from Montreal, he commented on the Italian player’s absence with words of understanding, even though he himself has chosen a different path: “I understand him perfectly. I think that to be in top form, some players need to play more tournaments, while others need to play fewer.” The German then broadened his reflection to the broader context, emphasizing that this is nothing new: “I believe this is the second or third year in a row that Alcaraz, Sinner, and Djokovic aren’t here, and that it’s simply a consequence of the two-week Masters tournament.”

Zverev also took the opportunity to reflect on his Wimbledon final loss to Sinner with disarming clarity: “It’s not good that I keep losing to the same opponent, but I think it shows that we were the two most consistent players on the tour this year. I wanted to win at Wimbledon; I wanted to win the final, but in the end I faced an opponent who knows how to play in these moments and played a phenomenal match.” Despite the losses, the German says he’s more motivated than ever: “Being number one is a goal. I think playing the best tennis possible should always be the number one goal, because then the results will follow.”

Legendary American coach Rick Macci also weighed in to defend Sinner’s decision, with words that sound almost like a prophecy: “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. To be at your best, the magic word is rest.” Macci then went a step further, painting a bright future for the Italian: “I believe that, injury-free, he’ll end his career with more than 20 Grand Slams under his belt.”

Meanwhile, Sinner has completed every stage of his preparation with his usual meticulousness. On 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.

The countdown has therefore 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, and 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.