It is not easy to decipher Jannik Sinner, which in tennis terms translates into an extraordinary virtue. It is not known if the number one likes poker, but given his conditions and his personality he could easily sit at a table and play tricks with cards, with that eternally neutral face and gesture that confuses anyone. On occasions, often, actually constantly, he seems not to feel or suffer, and an example of this is the scene reflected in the semi-final match against the Englishman Jack Draper, in which the Italian suffered a bad fall and hurt his left wrist. When he was treated, however, neither cold nor hot; not a single grimace nor a single sign that revealed the pain. In the end, more of the same as what has happened over the last three weeks, in which the number one has reacted to the impact of the announcement of his positive test -clostebol, March, Indian Wells- with an astonishing emotional shield that has guided him to the final.
As if nothing had happened, Sinner will attend today’s duel (20:00, Movistar+) against the American Taylor Fritz in a clear position to claim the title, which would mean his second Grand Slam. He’s getting better and better, increasingly in tune and having reached that rhythm that progressively crushes his rivals in the rally, it seems that the Italian depends almost entirely on himself to try to achieve the new achievement, which would come in this strange atmosphere that has surrounded the tournament. Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic disappeared very early on, Alexander Zverev faltered later on and he himself removed the most corrosive element left on the track, Daniil Medvedev. So, he only has one step left to find the prize and round off a historic season that, however, will be accompanied by the blurry episode of doping.
Sinner’s performance these days has been, above all, a true exercise in abstraction, a test of mental strength that the San Cándido native, always tempered like few others, has passed with flying colors. “I’ve gone day by day, without many expectations, trying to find my game and my rhythm,” he admitted after beating Draper and feeding his fabulous record of victories this year in the majors; with 22, more than anyone else. One more would give him his sixth trophy of the year, second major After Australia, but first he will have to overcome the resistance of Fritz, who is hoping to end a 21-year drought in the men’s field. The Californian, already among the ten strongest on the circuit, will use his service weapon as he is not interested in getting involved in exchanges; the longer they are, the more he loses, a tenacious type if ever there was one.
The data convey a perseverance and faith that is difficult to match. Specifically, the American has had to parade through 33 major tournaments before reaching his first final, a record only surpassed since the beginning of the Open Era (1968) by David Ferrer (42), Stanislas Waerinka (36) and Kevin Anderson (34). “I know that facing the number one is never easy, but I have always felt good when I have played against him: in some way, it is as if his ball pace favours me. I generally play well against him,” emphasizes Fritz, 26 years old, three years older than Sinner (23); “Whenever we have faced each other I have enjoyed the match. So I have the feeling that I am going to go out there, that I am going to play very well and that I am going to win. When I play my best tennis, I consider myself good enough to be a champion.”
He will have the local support in his favour, considering that until now the New York crowd has not expressed any opinion about Sinner during the tournament. However, during these three weeks, various colleagues on the circuit have done so, as has the Romanian Simona Halep, who denounces preferential treatment towards the current leader of the ATP. “It is clear that he was judged in a completely different way to my case,” laments the former number one, who was banned for four years for roxadustat., a drug that increases oxygenation in the blood. After appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the punishment was reduced to nine months; “I suffered a lot and I don’t think it was fair that I wasn’t allowed to compete for so long. All athletes should be treated equally, regardless of their ranking”.
And amid all the noise and tension, inside his bubble, Sinner has continued to win and navigate rounds in his own way: without blinking, without showing signs of discouragement or weakness. Quite the opposite. He may not be bad at poker.
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