Jessica Pegula doesn’t hold back when it comes to Jannik Sinner and his injury

Jessica Pegula, the American tennis player currently ranked No. 4 in the world, spoke on the Player’s Box podcast about Jannik Sinner’s recent physical issues, which have forced Italy’s top-ranked men’s player to take a break until 2027.

“I get the feeling that the way he moves isn’t normal. So I don’t think it’s that surprising that he might have some physical issues,” Pegula explained. “Only Djokovic comes close, but Jannik looks like he’s skiing on a tennis court.”

“For much of this year, he seemed unbeatable. I hope he recovers soon. For a couple of years, I had the feeling he was unstoppable. Sometimes we always think no one will ever be able to beat him, and then something like this happens and we come back down to earth. Let’s realize that it’s really hard to stay healthy, especially at that level.” Zverev will become the new world No. 1: “We thought it would never happen, at least until we saw the two injuries to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik. It’s really crazy how things can change in just a few months.”

Zverev himself addressed the issue bluntly: “The fact that I’ve claimed the top spot at the end of the year is due to Jannik Sinner’s absence—unfortunately, that’s just how it is. It will certainly be a special moment for me, but I think the emotions will really hit when I actually see ‘No. 1’ next to my name. Right now, I’m still number 2.” The German then clarified that he doesn’t want to take pleasure in others’ misfortunes: “I like competing against the best in the world, and even though Jannik has beaten me many times this year, I’d like him to be on the tour with me.”