Jannik Sinner’s coach Simone Vagnozzi has provided an update on the Italian’s condition ahead of the US Open final. He will rekindle his rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz as he looks to retain the title he won last year in New York. The two players have emerged as the dominant forces in men’s tennis and there was little doubt they would be facing each other in the final.
During his win over Felix Auger-Aliassime in the last four, Sinner had a problem with his abdomen and even required a medical timeout. He ended up battling through the pain to beat his rival in four sets and schedule another meeting with Alcaraz. Ahead of the final, Vagnozzi was quizzed on Sinner’s fitness in an interview with UbiTennis.
He said: “He just had a little abdominal discomfort at one point, but after treatment with the physiotherapist, it went away, so I don’t think it’s anything serious.
“When he came back from treatment, in the first few games, he wasn’t sure how he was doing and wasn’t pushing very hard. Then he started to push, and his serve improved, so I think he’ll be pretty comfortable for Sunday.”
Vagnozzi added that it will not be easy for Sinner to beat Alcaraz, who is hunting for revenge after losing to the 24-year-old in the Wimbledon final.
“It will still be a very tough match, as always,” he explained. “Carlos will definitely try to do something different than in the Wimbledon final, so we need to prepare.
“It will be important to write down some tactical ideas. Then we need to go play, enjoy it, go out on court with the confidence of having played a great tournament, push hard, and see how it goes.”
Sinner was quizzed on his abdominal issue following his victory over Auger-Aliassime but was quick to play down the severity of the problem.
“Nothing too bad,” he responded. “I served a bit faster again. It’s nothing serious. I’m very happy. There are no excuses. Sunday is a very special day. Amazing final again. Let’s see what’s coming.”
It remains to be seen if Sinner will be firing on all cylinders when he goes up against Alcaraz in the US Open final. They last did battle at the Cincinnati Open, with the Italian retiring from that match due to illness.
He took time away from the court before travelling to New York and has shown little sign of any potential after-effects, cruising through the majority of his matches with relative ease.
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