Jannik Sinner is on the brink of capturing his fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title, looking nearly unbeatable at this point. However, according to his coach, as the world No. 1 prepares to face Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s championship clash, he is quietly battling an ‘unseen’ hurdle. Behind the scenes, his coaching team is actively working to manage a sudden psychological shift that changed his run at the tournament.
Jannik Sinner’s Coach Admits “Extra” Pressure After Alcaraz Exit
The entire landscape of the Madrid draw changed the moment Carlos Alcaraz was forced to withdraw. The two-time champion and undisputed hometown favorite is dealing with an injury to his right wrist, which forced him to skip Madrid, Rome, and the coveted Roland-Garros after just a single match at the Barcelona Open.
That made him the Italian, no longer just the top seed, but the favorite to lift the trophy in the Spanish capital.
Speaking to the press ahead of the final against Zverev, Sinner’s co-coach, Simone Vagnozzi, provided a highly insightful 27-second update. He confirmed Sinner’s physical readiness while candidly admitting the mental weight of Alcaraz’s absence.
“But we are exactly where we want to be; in the final once again. Jannik is doing well; he has recovered and is feeling better every day, so that is what matters. Naturally, the favorite is out of the picture, and there is that slight extra bit of pressure that one can sense,” Vagnozzi said.
But it’s time to put all worries behind, as he added: “However, we try to put that out of our minds. After all, at Roland-Garros there are seven matches to win, and six in Rome, and tomorrow (Sunday) brings another one, so we are taking it day by day.”
Because he is competing at such a relentless pace to defend his world No. 1 ranking, and given what happened to Alcaraz, physical fatigue and minor injury scares are already there. Nonetheless, Sinner’s elite coaching team knows that keeping his mind fresh is equally important as his baseline tactics.
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In the last presser, Sinner said: “I’ve played a lot in the last one and a half months, going very deep in tournaments. It’s a good sign, of course, and at the same time you tend to get a little bit more tired. I think and I believe, when I play big matches… there’s also a little bit of adrenaline that pushes me.” He added, “In between here and Rome I’ll try to recover again as much [as I can], and then we’ll see.”
The championship match is scheduled for Sunday, May 3, at 11 a.m. ET (5 p.m. local CEST time). The match will be held at the Manolo Santana Stadium at La Caja Mágica.
