Jannik Sinner is all about standing on business! The Italian pro has once again showcased his brilliant on-court skills to topple Alexander Zverev and, with it, reach the Cincinnati Open‘s summit clash on Monday, August 19. But, it’s a bitter-sweet moment. Though his latest display of resilience has helped him emerge victorious, the World No. 1 feels his rehabilitated form will fall short if he wishes to lift a Grand Slam title.

At the ATP 1000 Masters event, the No. 1 locked horns with Zverev for a thrilling semifinal encounter. Sinner, who entered the contest on the back of a four-match losing streak against the German, narrowly edged past the latter’s challenge. Despite bearing the interruptions of a rain delay in the opening set, Sinner managed to hold the fort and registered a 7-6 (11/9), 5-7, 7-6 (7/4) victory over ‘Sascha’. However, there’s a bigger fish to fry for the Italian.

In a post-match on-court interview, the 23-year-old highlighted that he is still a shadow of his former self. Sinner cited that he hopes to overcome his physical limitations and with his current form in display at Cincinnati, triumphant results might not head his way at Majors. “It’s a very different moment what I’m going through, so I’m happy about this result. The physical aspect of course, I have to improve because if I want to win Grand Slams or bigger titles, I have to be more in shape.”

Sinner has been finessing his rivals all week at the hardcourt event after registering a comeback to the Tour at the recently concluded Canadian Open. While the young talent’s latest victory has helped him become the first Italian man to reach the Cincy’s final, his health issues might be a cause for concern. This, in turn, can also thwart his dream run at the upcoming US Open.

Jannik Sinner admits “not being completely physically recovered” from his hip injury

Jannik Sinner has been plagued with physical concerns lately. In the last two months, the Italian’s performance has blatantly fallen. After sustaining a nasty hip injury at the Madrid Open, the World No. 1 was forced to skip the Italian Open. Later, his maiden Olympic dream run came down crashing after contracting Tonsilitis, sidelining him from the Paris Olympics. However, having seemingly recovered and returned to the circuit, his physical health hasn’t yet fully restored.

While contesting against Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open, the Italian was notably witnessed touching his hip repeatedly. Moreover, the No. 1 seed was visibly struggling with a sharp hip pain while clashing against Zverev at Cincinnati. During a post-match presser at Cincinnati, the Italian ace gave a wistful report on his injury recovery status.

He said, “I’ve had very consistent results, reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, quarterfinals in Montreal, all while not being completely physically recovered. My goal is to do the best I can, and I don’t do well so much on what I did in the past or at the beginning of the year, which surely could give me more confidence.”

Overall, if Sinner wishes to clinch the US Open title, his recovery requires his undivided attention. Especially when he will clash with the likes of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, his physical conditions need to be at par to compete with their formidability. What are your thoughts on his chances of recovering seamlessly? Do let us know in the comments.