Hey there, fellow tennis enthusiasts It’s your girl Mia Johnson-Carter here, living the dream in Miami. Today, I’m super excited to share some recent news from the world of tennis that has everyone buzzing.
The Paris-Bercy Masters 1000, which will change venues next year, has had to deal with some bad news recently. Jannik Sinner, the world number one and two-time Grand Slam champion, has announced that he will miss the last Masters 1000 of the season due to an intestinal virus that has affected him in recent days and does not allow him to compete at 100%.
Jannik Sinner, Paris Masters 2024
The Italian ace has been dominating the season with two Grand Slam titles and three Masters 1000 victories. Despite this, he should have no trouble catching up on time for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin and the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. The 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria has already stated that he will return to practice towards the end of this week before traveling to Turin for his main goal in this last part of the season.
Jannik was set to make his debut at Paris-Bercy tomorrow but will now miss out on what promises to be an exciting matchup against Carlos Alcaraz. The rivalry between these two young players has been one of the most anticipated storylines of the season, with fans and organizers hoping to see a new chapter in their impressive rivalry. The Italian ace and the Spanish champion have faced each other four times this season, with a 3-1 record in favor of Alcaraz.
Pioline on Sinner’s Forfeit
Speaking with the media, tournament director Cedric Pioline commented on Jannik’s forfeit: “It’s not my place to judge: each player, including Jannik, organizes his season as he sees fit. We can even say that in general, Jannik is one of those who have a logical programming, he does not overload his calendar. So he was pretty confident. As high-performance athletes, they are immune-weak at the end of the season, there are little things that hang around and you can catch. Is it bad luck? Probably”.
The Italian ace never had a particular feeling with the last Masters 1000 of the season, in which he did not express his best tennis in previous years. His best result so far was the round of 16 last year, when he withdrew from the tournament after finishing his second-round match late at night.
An Outstanding Rivalry
Fans and insiders are hoping that Sinner and Alcaraz will face each other at least once again this year, perhaps in the Nitto ATP Finals or the Davis Cup Finals. Italy and Spain are the top two favorites for victory in Malaga, and a possible clash in the final between these two teams would be a dream.
In a recent interview with ‘La Stampa’, the Italian champion opened up on his amazing rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz: “Alcaraz and I are two very different players. I keep the pace very high; I’m mentally strong. He is physically strong and tennis-wise he has something more at the moment. He plays slice and volleys better, but for me it’s positive. It means I have room to improve”.
Despite both winning two Grand Slam titles this year, it can be said that Jannik was better than Carlos in 2024. Jannik has been the most consistent throughout the season, winning seven titles and suffering only six defeats from January to date. Just the consistency has been the gap of Carlitos this season, as he himself stated in a recent interview.
The 21-year-old from Murcia is working a lot with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero on this aspect, being aware that he will not be able to afford too many drops if he wants to beat Sinner in the ATP ranking. The two young champions are separated by many points at this time, even if the Italian will have to defend his success at the Australian Open next January.
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