“I don’t feel comfortable,” Jannik Sinner steps onto clay in Monte Carlo with a long list of dreams and a longer list of challenges

The Italian will make his clay debut for the season at the 2024 Monte Carlo Masters.

“I don’t feel comfortable,” Jannik Sinner steps onto clay in Monte Carlo with a long list of dreams and a longer list of challenges

Jannik Sinner (Image via IMAGO)

Jannik Sinner is currently gearing up for his first appearance on the Tour as World No. 2. He won the 2024 Miami Masters, which saw him break into the Top 2 of the ATP singles rankings for the first time. It also made him the first Italian, man or woman, to achieve the feat. 

The 2024 Monte Carlo Masters will be the first event where the Italian wunderkind will play as World No. 2 for the first time. While his fans would hope for another title from him given his fabulous start to the season, the player himself is in doubt. 

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Sinner is currently 22-1 for the season, with three titles from four tournament appearances, including the 2024 Australian Open. As he prepares for his clay debut, he admits to not having big expectations in Monte Carlo. 

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What do I expect at the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters? Well, honestly not much. The goal is to do a week of active training, thanks to the matches and then we'll see what comes out. The focus of my season will be between the Roland Garros and the Olympics, with Wimbledon in the middle.
Said Sinner, speaking with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

The 22-year-old also emphasized prioritizing his home event, the Rome Masters, scheduled for next month. He showed maturity by admitting that adapting to clay is difficult, so his time in Monte Carlo is primarily dedicated to that purpose. 

Then I'm Italian and Rome is also a very important tournament for me. This is the surface where I don't feel comfortable, but it doesn't mean I don't know how to play on it. Adapting to this surface takes time and I'm trying to make friends with clay-courts.
Added the Italian.

Sinner’s comments could be a reflection of his career record on clay. He is currently 74-36 on the surface, having a 67% success rate. At the same time, he has had a nearly 76% win rate on hardcourt throughout his career. 

Of his 13 career titles so far, only one has come on clay so far. The sole title came at the 2022 Croatia Open. He had defeated arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz to win the ATP-250-rated tournament.

Jannik Sinner points out a flaw in his ATP website profile

During the conversation, the Italian also pointed out a major mistake in his profile on the ATP website. The comment came in light of his discussion on training to maintain his fitness and ensure a high level of athleticism.

Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner (Image via IMAGO)
I have grown in height. The ATP website shows 1.88 while in reality, I am 1.92-1.93. I don't exaggerate with weight training which can be risky and in general to do certain things you have to trust your body. I feel good, I played all of 2023 and now without problems and when I'm tired I recover quicker than in the past.
Commented Sinner.

In the Monte Carlo Masters, Sinner will now take on Sebastian Korda in the second round. The American beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-1, 6-2 in the first round. It will be a third career meeting between Sinner and Korda, with the head-to-head currently tied at 1-1. 

Both their previous matches were played on hardcourt, making this their first clay-court encounter. The two have, however, had contrasting forms coming into Monte Carlo. While the Italian has lost just one match so far this season, Korda is 11-8, with his best result coming in Adelaide, where he reached the semis. 

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