Jannik Sinner Says ‘Ranking is Just a Number’ After Fending Off Alexei Popyrin in Doha

Jannik Sinner is playing the Qatar Open for the first time, and in his debut match, he breezed past Tomas Machac, registering his first win since his defeat to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the Australian Open. Sinner then downed Alexei Popyrin in the second round, improving his head-to-head record to 2-1.

It was also his 50th consecutive win over a player ranked outside the top 50. But Sinner has made it clear that he doesn’t play with his opponents’ rankings in mind, as Popyrin, who registered his first win since the 2025 US Open by defeating Mubarak Al-Harrasi in the first round, was on the verge of winning the second set.

I’m just trying to do my best. I respect all the players. But I always try to play my best tennis, if I can. I know that, at the end of the day, the ranking is just a number. I think everyone is playing with a lot of intensity and quality. When opponents don’t have much to lose, they feel a bit freer. You always have to be very, very focused. I’m happy; it’s a great start to the season again.

Jannik Sinner said during his on-court interview

Popyrin, once a World No.19, currently sits in the 51st spot. He was chasing his fourth tour-level singles titles, following his wins at the 2021 Singapore Open, 2023 Croatia Open, and the 2024 Canadian Open. The Aussie is yet to taste title victory in an ATP 500 tournament, but Sinner has so far added seven of these titles to his trophy cabinet, last winning at the 2025 Vienna Open against Alexander Zverev.

Jannik Sinner admitted he lost his rhythm during his match against Alexei Popyrin

Jannik Sinner is on a 12-match winning streak in ATP 500 tournaments and is bidding to win his third consecutive title at this level after titles in Vienna and Beijing last year. Reaching the final could see him once again face his arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz, who has also made the quarterfinals in the Qatari capital for the second consecutive time.

But before that, Sinner first has to get past 2025 Miami Open champion Jakub Mensik in his last eight match. The Czech ace, who lifted this year’s ASB Classic, eliminated Zhang Zhizhen in the previous round.

I started really well in the first set; I didn’t have many problems with my service games. Then it got a little tougher. I felt like he had raised his level, and I lost a bit of my rhythm and confidence. He [Alexei Popyrin] made a couple of mistakes, which helped me get the decisive break… I’m very happy. You have to find different ways to win matches. Obviously, now we have to aim to raise our level. Every day is different. Let’s see what the future holds.

Jannik Sinner said during his on-court interview

The last title that Sinner lifted was last year’s ATP Finals, defending his crown with a straight-set win over Alcaraz. Mensik, who has so far lifted two titles from three finals, is chasing his first ATP 500 trophy. Before arriving in Doha, the 20-year-old played at the Australian Open, where he gave the walkover to eventual runner-up Novak Djokovic in the fourth round.

Last year, Mensik, instead of the Middle East Swing, participated in a South American event, playing the Mexican Open. Sinner, after defending his Melbourne title last year, was scheduled to play in Doha, but he withdrew due to his three-month ban from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The World No.2 will be meeting the World No.16 for the first time in his career.

Also read: Emma Raducanu Advised to Copy Roger Federer’s Coaching Move After Being Without a Coach

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