In response to Novak Djokovic’s retirement from the French Open, Jannik Sinner displays his real colors.
As of right now, Jannik Sinner holds the top spot in the global rankings after Novak Djokovic withdrew from the French Open.
When Novak Djokovic withdrew, Jannik Sinner displayed class by becoming the new world No. 1 player.(Photo courtesy of Eurosport)
When it was announced that Jannik Sinner would take over as the new world No. 1 on Monday due to Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal from the French Open, Sinner demonstrated his class. At Roland Garros, the two were competing against each other for the top spot.
And Sinner’s demise was confirmed when Djokovic withdrew from the competition due to an MRI that revealed he had ruptured the medial meniscus in his right knee following an injury he sustained in a match in the fourth round.
However, as soon as he heard the news, the 22-year-old expressed his desire to spare the 24-time Grand Slam champion, wishing him a speedy recovery from his speech impairment.
Sinner defeated Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets on Tuesday to secure his place in his first-ever French Open semifinal. Djokovic withdrew from the competition while he was still playing, guaranteeing that Sinner would become the first-ever Italian No. 1 in ATP history starting on Monday.
The Australian Open champion was told by Fabrice Santoro during their on-court interview that he was now the greatest player in tennis. However, he was unwilling to enjoy himself at Djokovic’s cost.
“What am I supposed to say? First and foremost, becoming the best player in the world is every player’s dream,” he began, before focusing on the 24-time Major winner. On the other hand, I believe it’s terrible for everyone that Novak is retiring here, so I hope he gets well soon.
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The competition for the No. 1 slot has not been the second seed’s primary focus; instead, it has been the tournament. And even after he secured the ranking, his strategy remained the same. “I tried not to think too much about this because I used to struggle a lot in this event, especially the last two years,” he said.
“I’m excited to be in the semifinals, I’m going to have fun, and I’ll do my best to play tennis,” the player said. After reaching his milestone, Sinner continued by thanking his teammates and supporters, but he soon returned the focus to the semi-final.
“I am grateful to my team for making this process possible; without them, it would not be conceivable. It would also be impossible without you guys. This is a very significant occasion for me, and I’m thrilled to share it with all of the guys who are watching at home, especially those who are from Italy. And let me see what I can accomplish on Friday,” he continued.
