Jannik Sinner Refutes Jaume Munar’s Comments by Acknowledging ‘Respectful’ French Crowds

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, in blazing form, is on course to win his fourth Grand Slam title.

Jannik Sinner Refutes Jaume Munar’s Comments by Acknowledging ‘Respectful’ French Crowds

Jannik Sinner and Jaume Munar (via X)

Jannik Sinner has publicly appreciated the French crowd for the respect they show to the players following his second round win over Richard Gasquet. The Italian put the curtains down on Gasquet’s career after a straight set win.

In his press conference, Sinner was asked about the response from the French crowd at Roland Garros. He accepted that the crowd is a bit noisy, but he believes that it is normal in Grand Slams. Sinner said at the press conference:

I played two matches, both against French players, and they have been very, very respectful. When you play here against a French player, the atmosphere is a bit different. It’s the same when I play in Italy. There are people who shout a bit, but it’s normal. I feel it’s more off the central court, or on Suzanne Lenglen, where it’s a bit more chaotic. I watched some matches there, and it can get very noisy in a way.

The opinion regarding the French crowd has been under discussion in the last few hours. Jaume Munar issued a statement against the French crowd, accusing them of creating a ‘circus’. He lost in the second round to Arthur Fils in a five-set thriller.

Meanwhile, Sinner will play Czech player Jiri Lehecka in the third round. Should the Italian win that match, he has the possibility to square off against Fils in a blockbuster fourth round.

Jannik Sinner beats Richard Gasquet to reach third round

World number one Jannik Sinner advanced to the third round of the French Open with a straight-sets win over Richard Gasquet. The Italian claimed a dominant 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 victory on Court Philippe-Chatrier. This marked the second time Sinner defeated Gasquet in Paris, adding to his growing list of Grand Slam accomplishments.

Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner (Image via X/GamebredSports)

Gasquet, 38, had earlier announced that this would be his final French Open appearance. The veteran Frenchman, who began his professional career in 2002, has won 16 tour-level singles titles. Sinner, born in 2001, was just a year old when Gasquet made his debut at Roland Garros.

After the match, Sinner spoke warmly about facing the Frenchman. He praised Gasquet for his contributions to the sport and called him a great person both on and off the court. Sinner also reflected on Gasquet’s legacy, saying he would be remembered long after his retirement.

The crowd started off supportive of Gasquet but grew quiet as Sinner took control. After winning the first set 6-3, Sinner breezed through the second without losing a game. Gasquet showed more fight in the third set, but Sinner broke serve at 5-4 and sealed the win confidently.

Jannik Sinner explains the difference between day and night sessions

Top seed Jannik Sinner has explained the difference between day and night sessions at Roland Garros. The Italian believes that the during the day and afternoon, the ball bounces a lot higher. Sinner added:

It’s very different. In the afternoon, the ball bounces less…It also depends on whether it’s sunny or cloudy, for example. Today has been sometimes a bit cloudy and sometimes sunny. It changes very, very fast, so they are different conditions. It’s good to have played now two matches in different conditions, so I know a bit how to prepare for matches.

Jannik Sinner (4)
Jannik Sinner (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

Sinner knows the conditions more than anyone this year as he has now played in multiple conditions going into Round 3. In the first round, he beat the local favorite Arthur Rinderknech in the night after trailing 4-0 in the third set.

Now, he has beaten Gasquet in the afternoon session. Sinner is bidding to win his fourth Grand Slam title and the first in Roland Garros. He is bidding to become the fourth player in the Open Era to win the Australian Open and Roland Garros in the same season. Novak Djokovic was the most recent man to achieve that milestone in 2023.

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