Jannik Sinner ‘feeling good’ ahead of US Open title defence

US Open

Sinner ‘feeling good’ ahead of chase for rare US Open title defence

Italian will take on Kopriva in opening match at New York major

Sarah Stier/Getty Images Jannik Sinner practises Thursday at the US Open. By ATP Staff

The wait for a successful men’s singles title defence at the US Open is up to 17 years, but Jannik Sinner will have every reason to believe he can snap it this fortnight in New York.

The top-seeded Italian enters Flushing Meadows this year with a 31-4 record for the season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, and he is also on a 21-match winning streak at hard-court Grand Slam tournaments dating back to the start of the 2024 Australian Open.

At his pre-tournament press conference Friday in New York, defending champion Sinner spoke assuredly when asked how he had recovered from the illness that caused him to retire from Monday’s final against Carlos Alcaraz in Cincinnati.

“I'm firstly very happy to be back here. It's a great tournament. It's obviously the last Grand Slam we have for this season, so the motivations are very high,” said the Italian. “Physically I feel good. I have recovered mostly, not 100% yet, but we are aiming to be there in couple of days. So should be all fine for the tournament.”

The No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Sinner was asked his thoughts on why defending the title has been so tough in recent years at the US Open, where the last man to win consecutive crowns was Roger Federer (the Swiss won five in a row from 2004 to 2008). The 24-year-old believes the challenge may lie in small contextual details that surround the event.

“We are heading towards end of the season, so some players, they are tired. Some players, they are feeling different. Many things can change,” said the 20-time tour-level titlist. “It's also the last big trophy of the year. I feel like here it changes a lot if you play night or if you play day. There are many, many small things at this Grand Slam makes a difference.

“For example, also obviously we are sleeping in the city, and it takes one hour to come [to Flushing Meadows}. Small things. But I feel if you don't handle them very well, then it's also very difficult to play the best possible tennis. Let's see. I always say that the future is unpredictable. So I don't know what's going to happen this time. But of course, it's a very, very difficult tournament to play.”

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