When Jannik Sinner plays in Madrid: background with Bonzi
Jannik Sinner’s debut at the Madrid tournament is approaching, which will see him in the hunt for a fifth consecutive Masters 1000, a feat that has never been achieved by anyone in the past. The Azure will face him as world number one after regaining the top spot in the rankings thanks to a win in Monte Carlo against Carlos Alcaraz, who will not be present instead due to a wrist problem.
The South Tyrolean tennis player will face Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi, current world number 104: the fresh winner of the Sunshine Double and the Monaco Masters 1000 will make his debut on the Manolo Santana Stadium center court on Friday, April 24, at a time yet to be determined.
Bonzi has faced Sinner three times before, losing in all three matches. In 2022, the Blue won at Indian Wells and Roland Garros, and in 2023 at Rotterdam.
Sinner arrives in Madrid in outstanding form, on the strength of 17 consecutive victories. However, on the eve of the tournament, interviewed by Sky Sports, the world number one wanted to warn everyone about the peculiarities of the Caja Magica: “It’s a very different tournament than others on clay: the ball travels faster, you control it less, there is less cross-court play. It is a condition that favors those who serve very well and makes responding particularly complicated. I’m also here to understand how best to deal with these situations in view of the next few years.”
Soothing the fears of those who worried about the physical fitness of Sinner, who is engaged in a busy schedule that also includes the Internazionali di Roma and Roland Garros, was taken care of by coach Simone Vagnozzi, who spoke in the pages of La Gazzetta dello Sport: “Jannik already during Monte Carlo was always better as time went by. If we had not come to Madrid, too much time would have passed between that tournament and Rome. He is fine, there is no need to worry. There is no better training than the match.” Vagnozzi added, “When a player wins and plays well he wastes less energy. You have to find balance, be flexible, adapt.”
