Sinner tows Italy. Waiting for Berrettini. Musetti and Sonego: false start

The fever has set in to hinder Jannik Sinner’s constant and rhythmic journey at the start of the season. Forfeit in Marseille – a few hours before the start of the match against the French Arthur Fils – and goodbye in Indian Wells, the first Masters 1000 of the season which will then be repeated by Miami, a tournament in which Sinner played and lost the final in 2021 against Hubi Hurkacz. The Sunshine Double – precisely the double of 1000 tournaments in the United States – will be a key step in the season of our top tennis players.

Jannik pulls

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After the victory of the United Cup, the 2023 of Italian tennis was, more or less, Jannik Sinner. Defeat in five sets against Tsitsipas in the round of 16 in Australia, victory in Montpellier and final in Rotterdam, with the great success with Tsitsipas to give the push. Skipping Marseille, with these premises (and considering that Jannik, seeded number 1, was the favorite to win the tournament), is a shame. But fortunately it is not a muscle problem and therefore we look with confidence to what will be. Sinner is not registered for any tournament scheduled for next week – Acapulco, Santiago and Dubai – and therefore we will find him again in Indian Wells.

The return of Berrettini

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If Sinner has given emotions, Berrettini and Musetti have been missing in recent weeks. With the exception of the United Cup – in which he won against Ruud, Monteiro and Hurkacz, before losing to Tsitsipas and Fritz – Matteo only played one match, in the first round of the Australian Open against Andy Murray. Burning defeat in five sets, with match point failed badly. A match in which he was 14th in the world, he is now 24th: he has lost 10 positions and must return to the Berrettini we know. Italian tennis needs him. After a month’s break, he will return to the 500 in Acapulco: he will be the first unseeded player, which could lead Vincenzo Santopadre’s pupil to play immediately against the best. There is great curiosity to see him again on the pitch.

Musetti, are you there?

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It was Musetti who continued to play, like Berrettini defeated in the first round of the Australian Open in five sets and in the decisive super tie break. Since that defeat against Lloyd Harris, conditioned by coach Simone Tartarini’s panic attack just before the start of the match, Lorenzo has never recovered. He chose the trip to South American clay to score points, but between Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro (in both tournaments he was the number 3 seed) he won only one game, against Cachin, and lost against two players outside the 100 ( Varillas and Jarry). In Santiago’s 250 he will be the first seeded player and the only top-30: he needs a strong response to get to Indian Wells in the best possible way and straighten out a season that started badly.

Sonego and Fognini

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For one reason or another, therefore, Berrettini and Musetti are missing. Sinner was the face of Italian tennis, but he stopped at the climax. Sonego also experienced ups and downs: he reached the second round of the Australian Open by beating Nuno Borges and then lost against Hurkacz in the fifth set, he was defeated in the quarterfinals in Montpellier by Sinner after winning against Bonzi and Krajinovic, he went out in the first round in Rotterdam (against Auger-Aliassime) and Doha (with Murray despite the three match points). He has faced tough opponents, he has won the games most within reach. But he lacks an important thread. Next week he will play the Dubai tournament, while Fognini will return to Santiago after the defeat against Alcaraz in Rio. Fabio won one out of five matches this year and lost head-on to Carlos. Sinner the certainty, then many questions: Italian tennis is thus approaching Indian Wells. Next week’s tournaments – everyone in the field except Jannik – must give answers before the two American 1000.