Earlier this year, Jannik Sinner clinched his third Grand Slam title by defeating Alexander Zverev in the AO final in a three-set thriller. However, following that title triumph, he was forced to sit on the sidelines for three months due to the doping suspension. During that phase, everyone thought Zverev and Alcaraz could probably overtake Sinner and become the new world number one, but they failed! Highlighting this massive missed opportunity, Carlos Alcaraz stated that the pressure to reclaim the top spot during Sinner’s absence has probably “killed” him in some way. However, Zverev said the possibility of becoming the number one didn’t have an impact on him, Instead, he claimed, “I was just playing bad, to be honest. Australia did affect me, and there were a lot of things that, in my mind, I was not playing well.” Recently, a renowned tennis coach spoke about how it went wrong for these two and also why Sinner is still the number one.
Renzo Furlan, an Italian tennis coach and a former tennis player, recently gave an interview to Tuttosport. Talking about this superstar coach, well, Furlan began coaching Jasmine Paolini full-time in 2020, having first worked with her in 2015. During his tenure, Paolini reached the finals of the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships in 2024, and as a result, Furlan also won the WTA Coach of the Year award last year. Recently, during the interview, he was first asked to talk about the comeback of Jannik Sinner at the Italian Open.
Speaking on that, he said, “Comebacks always hide unknowns.” However, since Sinner is not coming back from an injury, he believes the world number one will be fresh both mentally and physically to get his game going in Rome. Then when he was asked to share his thoughts on why Jannik Sinner managed to hold on to the top spot without playing, Furlan added, “Because he remains a cut above the others in terms of quality of tennis and consistency, always at least in the quarterfinals in the big events, always at the highest level. As for his direct opponents, I think Zverev paid the price of the tough defeat in Australia – where he was looking for his first Slam success – and of a somewhat reckless schedule, with the trip to South America. But he is still a cut below. “
Speaking on the Spaniard, he said, “Alcaraz, on the other hand, is super, but inconsistent; he shows some physical flaws, in the sense that his game stresses the body, and sometimes he gets hurt. Then, he is a bit inconsistent: he can reach very high peaks and sometimes pays in a negative way, but he is probably the strongest player in the world with Jannik. Yes, in another category.” He also spoke about how some other players apart from Alcaraz and Zverev managed to win titles in the meantime. “There is a certain turnover. I think of Jack Draper and the usual suspects like Casper Ruud. Jannik however goes beyond, he is the reference, clearly the strongest.“
Is Furlan the only one to criticize Zverev and Sinner for failing to grab the opportunity with both hands? Well, even the former Italian pro-Paolo Lorenzo said, “Neither Zverev nor Alcaraz had the necessary continuity last year to follow Sinner. A gap like today’s is not made up in three months. The difficulties observed may come from the fact that both try to progress quickly, but such transformations take time.” Currently, if we take a look at the Rankings, Jannik Sinner is sitting at the top with 9,730 points, while Alexander Zverev follows him with 8,085 points, and Carlos Alcaraz is third with 7,850 points.
The Italian tennis commentator Paolo Bertolucci also criticized Alcaraz and Zverev for their performances during Sinner’s absence. He said, “What was expected was that they (Zverev and Alcaraz) would be able to get very close to him (Sinner) in the rankings and maybe even overtake him, but instead they have caused disasters. So Sinner can sleep soundly.” However, with the Italian Open knocking at the door it’s perhaps time for the South Tyrolean to wake up. What are his chances at this tournament, though?
Will the rustiness be a big factor in Jannik Sinner’s comeback journey in Rome?
Well, Jannik Sinner had previously invited his close friend Jack Draper to Monte Carlo for several days of practice sessions on the clay. During a previous interview with the BBC, Draper spoke about his experience of hitting the court with the world number one. The Brit said, “He’s very consistent, he’s playing great. Maybe a little rusty in some areas, but with time, he’s improving every day. The more points we played, the more he was getting better.“
Sinner has a win-loss record of 7-0 (100%) this season, but when asked about his expectations for this tournament, even he was heard saying, “It’s a very, very low expectation tournament in general for me, it’s talking also results-wise. What’s missing is the complete feedback of where my level is. That’s going to come then slowly with time, of playing, after the first round match, I’m going to have a good picture of myself — where I am at. For me personally, good news that the Grand Slams were not included.”
However, Serena Williams’ ex-coach, Rick Macci, has something to say about Jannik Sinner’s comeback journey. Although Macci issued a warning about the chances of the increased risk of sustaining an injury in his Italian Open comeback, he said, “Every top player is curious about Sinner, the rust, and layoff. There will be zero rust because in his game, he has trust.” He believes this layoff can be a positive factor for the Italian. “The Italian Flamethrower has not lost a match in 214 days and counting. He has not lost since last year. Clay is his worst surface, in my opinion. If he wins Rome after this, agreed BAN zero doubt MENTALLY HE IS THE MAN.“
This will be Jannik Sinner’s sixth appearance at the Italian Open, having made his debut here as a wildcard entrant in 2019. He missed the 2024 edition due to an injury, but can he make a strong comeback this time?
The post “Still a Cut Below,” Jannik Sinner’s Top Spot Remains Safe as Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev Continue to Struggle for Dominance, Italian Tennis Legend Remarks appeared first on EssentiallySports.