Top-ranked Jannik Sinner reassured fans he's not concerned about a recent hip issue that's been bothering him for months, expressing excitement about returning to the court at the U.S. Open tune-up in Cincinnati this week.
The 22-year-old has struggled with the injury since May’s Madrid event and appeared to aggravate it during a surprising quarterfinal loss to Andrey Rublev in Montreal on Saturday.
Sinner attributed his struggles to the intensity of recent matches after missing the Paris Olympics due to tonsillitis.
“I feel quite good. Obviously, I went nearly a week without practicing before, and then after playing for two or three days in a row. A bit more than usual, that could have had a potential impact on the hip,” Sinner told reporters.
“But I’m not afraid. I feel good with the hip, and I’m just looking forward to going back on court here.”
The Australian Open champion said the conditions at the Cincinnati Open this week could present a tougher challenge as he prepares for the U.S. Open, which runs from Aug. 26 to Sept. 8.
“Here, I usually struggle a little bit because of the conditions, but I’m looking forward to seeing my reaction this year because it’s a great test,” said Sinner, who will face Tallon Griekspoor or Alex Michelsen in his opener.
“I believe this tournament can give you a lot of confidence for the U.S. Open, which is the last Grand Slam of the year. So in my mind, this is a very important tournament.
“We’ll take it day by day. I have a couple of days to prepare and hopefully show some good tennis.”
