Daniil Medvedev has explained why he refuses to feel sorry for Jannik Sinner after losing their ATP Finals clash.
Sinner is the favourite to lift the title on home soil this week. There is plenty of pressure on the world No. 1 – his face is up on posters across the city.
But Medvedev believes there’s no reason to pity Sinner over all the attention he gets, joking that his rival is a “good-looking” champion.
After finishing as the runner-up in 2023, Sinner is hoping to go one better at the season-ending championships this year so he can win his first official title at home.
The top seed is through to the semi-final after going 3-0 in his round-robin matches, finishing the group stage with a 6-3 6-4 victory over Medvedev. The crowds have been going crazy for Sinner all week, even delaying his on-court interviews by chanting his name.
And the support doesn’t stop outside of the Inalpi Arena. Posters of Sinner adorn the train stations while the Nike store in Turin has gone all out, stocking limited-edition Sinner merch.
The attention hasn’t affected the two-time Grand Slam champion so far this week but Medvedev was asked whether he felt sorry for Sinner after seeing the microscope he was under.
“No, I think it’s great. But I would wonder if he would live in Italy how it would be because he doesn’t. It’s a little bit easier,” the former world No. 1 smiled.
Instead, Medvedev believes there are plenty of reasons for Sinner to be adored. He continued: “Yeah, I mean, I think he deserves it.
“Like everything: the contracts, advertisements, whatever. He’s a good-looking No. 1 in the world, wins a lot of tournaments. Very young, which is always attractive. He’s 23. He has maybe 13, 14 years ahead of him where he can play, play, win, win. So it’s normal.
“I think he feels fine with it. So why should I be sorry for him?”
Sinner seems to be more than fine with the extra support he gets at home. The world No. 1 was forced to skip the Rome Masters back in May due to injury so the ATP Finals is his first official tournament appearance in Italy this year.
Asked what it was like to play on home soil, he said: “Yeah, it’s different. I mean, it’s Italy.
“The crowd is amazing. They stand with you in good or in bad. I like that. I haven’t played Rome, which for me was a tough one to call, but I was not ready physically.
“But now I’m here after 12 months. I really enjoy it. It’s like I never take these chances for granted. This is a bit different tournament than all the others because you have to qualify for it.
“Already you have a good standing by qualifying for it. Every match is tough. Yeah, I’m very happy to be here. The crowd is always amazing.”
