When the hard-court swing hits its mid-summer crescendo, the margin between relentless scheduling and physical preservation dictates a champion's calendar. Jannik Sinner has chosen to skip Cincinnati, turning his complete preparation toward the defense and demands of the US Open. It is a calculated retreat for a player who has spent months on a competitive rollercoaster, balancing major hardware against the friction of intense media oversight and the lingering fallout of an improperly timed doping disclosure.
Sinner arrives at this juncture having etched his name alongside the Open Era's elite. Less than eight months after capturing his maiden major in Melbourne, the Italian world number one conquered New York by defeating home favorite Taylor Fritz 6:3, 6:4, 7:5 in the final. In doing so, he became only the fourth man in the Open Era to claim both the Australian Open and the US Open in the same calendar year, joining an exclusive quartet that features Mats Wilander, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic. He also etched his name in history as the first player in 47 years to secure his first two Grand Slam titles within a single season, a feat last managed by Guillermo Villas in 1977.
Yet the road to this tier of dominance has tested his physical and emotional resilience. Earlier in the season, Sinner was forced to miss the Paris Olympic tournament due to illness, and he battled right-hip issues that sidelined him from major clay events in Madrid and Rome. Reflecting on his physical stamina during grueling stretches, Sinner noted after a hard-fought semifinal victory, Hodně to pro mě znamená. Pokud jde o fyzickou stránku, tak se musím zlepšit, protože pokud chci vyhrát grandslam nebo větší titul, musím být rozhodně v lepší formě
Jannik Sinner.
The physical and mental toll has extended beyond physical ailments. Sinner navigated a wave of scrutiny regarding a delayed doping case stemming from March tests where he twice tested positive for a steroid before successfully appealing with explanations that resulted only in the forfeiture of points and prize money from Indian Wells. Despite the outside noise, his hard-court metrics remained pristine. His staggering run on hard courts included a 23-match win streak at one point—tying Novak Djokovic for the ninth-longest hard-court win streak of the century—and a stellar 23-2 record across majors for the year, including a flawless 14-0 mark on hard surfaces.
Skipping Cincinnati serves as a necessary safety valve. With more than 10,000 points firmly anchoring him at the top of the ATP rankings—holding a lead of over 3,000 points ahead of second-ranked Alexander Zverev—Sinner joins rare air as just the fifth player in the last 24 years to breach the 10,000-point threshold, a club previously inhabited exclusively by Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray.
As the tour looks toward New York, the decision to forego the Ohio Masters highlights a pragmatic approach to longevity. Having already secured six titles on the year and cemented a sparkling 16-4 record in career finals, Sinner's choice to rest rather than chase back-to-back Masters commitments underscores a singular priority: arriving at Flushing Meadows fully healed, mentally clear, and ready to protect his hard-court throne.
Sources
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- livesport.cz original
- tenisportal.cz original
- sport.ceskatelevize.cz original
- sport.cz original
