Jannik has decided to play the first Masters 1000 on European clay: “I think that every player has a surface on which he expresses himself best, mine isn’t clay but I really want to get involved. And then I’ve never won a major tournament on clay…”
Happy with that serenity that you only find at home: “You don’t know how nice it is to play a tournament and sleep in your own bed. I like to breathe the different energy that is on these fields with the public.” Sinner and “his” Monte Carlo: despite the triumphant efforts of the Sunshine Double, with the successes in Indian Wells and then in Miami, and therefore the few days to dedicate to adapting to a new surface, Jannik decided to play the first Masters 1000 on European clay: “I think that every player has a surface on which he expresses himself better, mine is not clay but I really want to get involved. And then I have never won a major tournament on clay, even if last year I came close in Rome and at Roland Garros, so Monte Carlo will help me understand my level”.
goals
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After the morning performance with Zverev on minitennis to launch the tournament, in the afternoon Sinner dedicated himself to his obligations with the media, without however skimping on autographs and selfies for the many kids, mostly Italian, who are already crowding the Country Club on a day reserved only for qualifiers. In the Principality, Jannik played for the last time two years ago (in 2025 he was disqualified for the Clostebol case), the famous semi-final due to the referee’s error in favor of Tsitsipas which probably deprived him of the possibility of winning the third set and therefore the match: “We all make mistakes, us players on the court and also the referees and judges. I must say that I managed to erase that episode quickly”. And then since last year there has been Hawkeye in place of the line judges. A test, therefore, without forgetting that under the Rocca the world number one can return to play by taking him away from arch-rival Alcaraz: if he wins the tournament, the Red Fox will be sure to return to the top regardless of the Spaniard’s result. But without pressure: “Number one doesn’t depend on just one tournament, many decisive events await us. Roland Garros, given that I’ve never won it, will probably be the most important tournament of the year for me, and then Wimbledon will come.” Now it’s a matter of starting the adaptation to clay in the best possible way: “The objective in Monte Carlo is to play as many matches as possible. On clay the movements change, you have to look for different angles, and even the serve, which went very well in America, changes. But I’m happy with the position I’m in.” The hunt is on.
