Fabio Fognini Lauds Jannik Sinner for ‘Predictable’ Admission After Being ‘Crushed’ by Carlos Alcaraz in US Open Final

Jannik Sinner will next be playing the China Open, where he won in 2023 and lost to Carlos Alcaraz last year.

Fabio Fognini Lauds Jannik Sinner for ‘Predictable’ Admission After Being ‘Crushed’ by Carlos Alcaraz in US Open Final

Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ)

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Jannik Sinner said his game had become predictable after he failed to defend his US Open title following a four-set defeat to Carlos Alcaraz. In the wake of this, his compatriot Fabio Fognini has lauded him for admitting his weakness.

Sinner would have become the first man since Roger Federer (2008) to defend the US Open had he won the title at Flushing Meadows, but Alcaraz, who did not drop a set in his previous matches in the tournament, produced perhaps his best Grand Slam performance when he was up against Sinner. His serves were better than Sinner’s; he smashed 10 aces to the Italian’s two and also converted five of his nine break points as the Italian only once broke his serve.

The four-time Grand Slam champion, at the press conference, said he wanted to add more variety to his game and that he is ready to lose matches while evolving his game. Fognini, during Italian television and radio presenter Alessandro Cattelan’s podcast, said Sinner understood that he was no match for Alcaraz in that US Open final.

He then added that being complacent won’t help him when he is up against the six-time Grand Slam champion, who clearly has worked on his serve, and combined this with the arsenal of shots, was why he produced strong performances throughout the US Open.

Mentally, for a 24-year-old, he shows that he sees things clearly. He knows he’s been crushed, and now he has to get out of his comfort zone and do something different next time to be able to beat him. They are two different players. We Italians obviously know Jannik better; we follow him and support him more. Then, as you know, in Italy, if you win, you’re a phenomenon; if you lose, like the other day (US Open final), they start to dot the i’s and cross the t’s.

Fabio Fognini said

Fognini retired after his Wimbledon first-round defeat against Alcaraz this year. The 38-year-old took two sets off the Spaniard, who easily won the fifth set to reach the second round.

Jannik Sinner to play the China Open next

The Laver Cup will get underway on September 19. Team Europe, led by new captain Yannick Noah, will be up against Team World, which will be captained by Andre Agassi (also the new captain). Jannik Sinner, however, will not be in action. He has never played the team event and has decided to once again skip it.

Jannik Sinner US Open 2025
Jannik Sinner (image via X/Jannik Sinner)

But he will be seen in action next week for the China Open. The combined WTA 1000 and ATP 500 event will start on September 24, and Sinner will be aiming to win his second title in the tournament.

Back in 2023, he won the Beijing title for the first time by defeating Daniil Medvedev, and last year, he narrowly missed it with a three-set defeat to Carlos Alcaraz. The 22-year-old chose not to defend his title, as he instead has signed up for the Japan Open, where he will also make his debut. He will also be featuring in the Laver Cup for the second time after making his debut last year.

Sinner has so far played six finals and taken home two titles- beat Alexander Zverev to defend his Australian Open crown and later beat Alcaraz to become the first Italian player ever to win at Wimbledon. In the remaining four finals, he lost to Alcaraz, including at the French Open.

Because Sinner has failed to defend five titles, including the US Open, and two Masters 1000 titles, he was dethroned by Alcaraz in the rankings table. Alcaraz reclaimed his No. 1 ranking for the first time since September 2023.

Also read: Holger Rune Aims to Bring ‘Energy and Intensity’ to the Laver Cup