ATP Ace Shares Experience of Facing ‘Planetary Star’ Jannik Sinner: “People Pull Their Hair Out When They See Him!”

While many on the men’s tour are competing at the China Open or the Tokyo Open, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner is sitting on the sidelines, nursing a knee injury. The last time he played a match was in the Wimbledon final, where he defeated Alexander Zverev and defended his crown.

After skipping the Canadian Open to manage his schedule, it came to light that he was dealing with a knee injury, which led him to withdraw from the Cincinnati Masters, US Open, and the China Open. Sinner reached the title clashes of these three events last year, winning only in Beijing by defeating Learner Tien. Carlos Alcaraz received the walkover in Cincinnati and defeated him in New York.

Before his Wimbledon win, Sinner clinched five back-to-back Masters 1000 titles, completing the Career Golden Masters after his win at the Italian Open and becoming the second man in history after Novak Djokovic to do so. Also in Rome, Sinner breezed past compatriot Andrea Pellegrino in the fourth round. It was the first time the World No. 145 locked horns with Sinner, and he vividly remembers facing the five-time Grand Slam champion.

I’m just going to tell you that, when they presented (the players) and started listing the tournaments he won, there was a roar I’ve never heard in my life. I was like in a bubble, I was more tense about doing a bad impression on him than being in front of 15k spectators. More than anything else, it’s the status he has and that people attribute to him that make you feel that aura. You feel like you’re playing with a planetary star: people pull their hair out when they see him!

Andrea Pellegrino said on the TennisTalker podcast (H/T: Fanpage)

Pellegrino last played in the round of 16 at the Genoa Challenger. This year at the French Open, he made his Grand Slam main draw debut.

You only realize how big he is when you’re close to him. You don’t perceive many things on TV, but you understand the greatness of the person and the character when you’re up close. He and Alcaraz are something else. You felt the same feelings years ago when [Rafael] Nadal and [Roger] Federer were there.

Andrea Pellegrino added

Due to his withdrawal from the events in Cincinnati, New York, and Beijing, the 25-year-old now has a lead of only 1370 ranking points over World No.2 Alexander Zverev. Sascha not only won Wimbledon but also took home the French Open and the US Open.

Alexander Zverev will finish the 2026 season with more Majors than Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

Alexander Zverev’s confidence skyrocketed when he beat Flavio Cobolli in the French Open final and finally became a Grand Slam champion, so much so that he went on to reach his career’s first final at Wimbledon. Before the French Open, he had a lot of doubts about whether he could ever win a Major.

But those questions marks are not there anymore. As you could probably see on the court as well, I was enjoying New York a lot more than I was enjoying French Open. In French Open I had a lot of stress in me. I had a lot of nerves in me. Whereas in New York, I was just enjoying being there.

Alexander Zverev said at the pre-tournament press conference in Beijing

He will finish the season with more Grand Slams than Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz (the Spaniard won the Australian Open). Zverev went past Cameron Norrie in the first round to schedule his second-round match against home favorite Shang Juncheng. He is chasing his third title of the season in the Chinese capital.

Outside the last three Majors, he also reached the final of the Madrid Open, losing to Sinner. After Beijing, the German will compete at the Shanghai Masters.

Also read: David Ferrer Addresses Criticism Over Carlos Alcaraz Skipping Davis Cup but Playing Laver Cup