Jannik Sinner: A Former Star Sounds the Alarm

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have withdrawn from both the Montreal Masters 1000 and the Cincinnati Masters 1000. Greg Rusedski provided an update on the situation; on his “Off Court” podcast, he also speculated that both players might sit out the season’s final Grand Slam, allowing the two champions to fully recover from their respective physical issues.

As for Jannik Sinner, who is dealing with inflammation in his right knee, Rusedski urges caution, while emphasizing the world No. 1’s determination to compete in New York. “We won’t know any more about Sinner until the week before the U.S. Open, because he’s determined to be there and try to win another Grand Slam. But health comes first, and these players need to take the time they need. This shows just how physically demanding the tour is. Because Sinner seemed like the kind of player who would never have physical problems, and yet now he’s the one with a knee injury.”

Even more delicate, according to the former British tennis player, is the situation of Carlos Alcaraz, sidelined by a wrist injury and now away from the courts for several weeks. Rusedski considers it risky to return directly to New York without having played a warm-up tournament. “He should start with a best-of-three-set match, because training is one thing, but playing is another. The adrenaline rushing through your system, the fact that you’re giving it your all at full speed, means your tennis level always rises another 5–10% compared to what you show in practice, no matter how hard you train. On top of that, there’s the tension and the expectations. You can’t expect to recover and then immediately face a best-of-five-set match.”

Rusedski goes on to speculate that the Spaniard will be absent: “I’d be surprised if he played in the US Open. In my opinion, he should have played in Cincinnati to have a chance at making the US Open. He won’t make the mistake of taking that risk. He doesn’t want to take any chances. So I don’t think he’ll be able to play in the U.S. Open, even though we’re seeing a lot of progress in his comeback. If he isn’t in New York by the start of the week leading up to the tournament, he won’t play.”