Jannik Sinner had everyone worried during his US Open semifinal when he needed medical treatment for an abdominal issue. But his coach is staying calm about Sunday’s final against Carlos Alcaraz.
It’s pretty amazing how these two keep meeting in finals everywhere. They’ve now played for titles at the Italian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, Cincinnati, and the US Open.
But injuries keep getting in the way of their big matches.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jannik Sinner | 24 | 15,405 | 33 - 3 |
Sinner retired from the Cincinnati final after just 20 minutes because of physical problems. Now there are question marks again about whether he’ll be 100% for another huge final.
The Scare Against Auger-Aliassime
During his semifinal against Felix Auger-Aliassime, the world No. 1 suddenly had abdominal pain. It got bad enough that he had to leave the court for medical treatment after losing the second set.
That’s never a good sign in a semifinal.
But Sinner came back and won the match anyway, taking it 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Still, everyone was talking about his health instead of the victory.
His coach Simone Vagnozzi tried to calm nerves when reporters asked about it. He told UbiTennis that it wasn’t anything serious.
"He just had a little abdominal discomfort at one point, but after treatment with the physiotherapist, it went away, so I don’t think it’s anything serious. When he came back from treatment, in the first few games, he wasn’t sure how he was doing and wasn’t pushing very hard. Then he started to push, and his serve improved, so I think he’ll be pretty comfortable for Sunday."
Vagnozzi’s already thinking about strategy for the final. He knows Alcaraz will come with a different game plan after losing to Sinner at Wimbledon.
"It will still be a very tough match, as always. Carlos will definitely try to do something different than in the Wimbledon final, so we need to prepare. Tomorrow, it will be important to write down some tactical ideas. Then we need to go play, enjoy it, go out on court with the confidence of having played a great tournament, push hard, and see how it goes."
Sinner Downplays the Injury
Right after beating Auger-Aliassime, Sinner talked about what happened. He didn’t sound worried at all.
The Italian kept it simple and didn’t want to make excuses before Sunday’s match.
"Nothing too bad. I served a bit faster again. It’s nothing serious. I’m very happy. There are no excuses. Sunday is a very special day. Amazing final again. Let’s see what’s coming."
Whether the ATP world No. 1 needs another medical timeout during the final will tell us if he’s really okay. For now, his team seems confident he’ll be ready to go.
This rivalry between Sinner and Alcaraz has been incredible to watch. Every time they meet, it feels like the future of tennis is on display.
Sunday’s final should be no different – assuming both players are healthy enough to give us the match we’re hoping for.
