Jannik Sinner is causing quite a stir at this year’s Paris Open. He proved his great quality and mental steel by crushing Novak Djokovic in an epic semifinal encounter. Despite feeling the pressure throughout the contest, Sinner’s relentless pace and strategic play allowed him to secure a hard-fought victory and set up a highly anticipated final against Carlos Alcaraz.
Looking back at Sinner’s week in Paris, it’s hard to describe his performance with any words other than spectacular. He’s accomplished that impressive feat while winning, not dropping a set through the tournament. This performance cements him for so many reasons as one of the top players to ever play tennis. This win represents Sinner’s 20th straight triumph at Grand Slams, further underscoring his scary prowess on the court.
Sinner led for zero seconds of play in the semifinal showdown, where he mostly traced behind on the scoreboard against Djokovic. The drama only increased as he fought off three set points serving down 4-5 in the third set. With palpable determination and doggedness, Sinner saved those key breakpoints, eventually closing out his victory in a one-sided tiebreaker.
Sinner lost his way, looking shaky at crucial moments across the final two sets. Yet in the context of his performance, his sustained pressure on Djokovic was key. He ruled the court with his remarkable protective prowess. By conceding so few mistakes, he rendered his opponent, the former world No. 1 and most decorated Olympian ever, helpless in his attempts to establish a rhythm.
“I don’t think I have ever received this much support in this stadium in my career in big matches against the best players in the world” – Novak Djokovic
This year’s final against Alcaraz would be very important for Sinner. He will be looking to win his first big crown on clay and third straight Grand Slam. Better still, despite having lost all three previous meetings with Alcaraz, Sinner has no plans to back down.
Going into the match, Sinner’s intent couldn’t have been more clear. Even while knee-deep in nervy exchanges, he never relinquished an imposing presence on the court. His relentless tempo and shot heaviness kept pressuring Djokovic, moving him out of his comfort zones all match long.