No matter the result in the upcoming semifinal, this year’s Roland Garros will be forever considered significant for Jannik Sinner.
In addition to the fact that it is his career-best run in Paris, it will be remembered as the point his ascent to men’s singles world No.1 for the first time was confirmed.
A huge milestone for both him and his nation, Sinner becomes the first Italian to ever reach the pinnacle of men’s tennis.
“I’m happy to be part of this Italian movement,” said Sinner, who will become the 39th player in history to sit atop the ATP rankings.
“It means a lot and I think it’s great for Italy. We are a great country with great coaches and players, and we can see this now, how this moment is.”
S1NNER on top of the world 🥕 🌏
Bravo, @janniksin! pic.twitter.com/6R9cdbHvqD— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) June 4, 2024
Although an achievement worthy of significant attention, Sinner has a big job to do in the semifinal against Carlos Alcaraz, the most recent player, and youngest-ever, to debut at No.1.
Todd Woodbridge spoke on The AO Show Weekly podcast about how it will be a challenge for Sinner to block out the noise and focus on the task at hand.
LISTEN: The AO Show Weekly podcast
“There is an additional distraction in having to talk about this going into the semifinal, there’s no doubt,” said Woodbridge, the 2000 Roland Garros men’s doubles champion.
“It’s gone to different levels to him, and he has to actually cope with that.”
A mouth-watering contest awaits at Court Philippe Chatrier, with the two young superstars currently dead-even at four wins each from their eight tour-level meetings.
In a contest so closely-matched, the smallest of advantages could play a big part in the result.
ALCARAZ v SINNER: "Their quality is just phenomenal"
Nonetheless, Woodbridge believes Sinner will overcome such distractions and has tipped him to have the slight edge in the blockbuster.
“Once you get to this point of a tournament, you’re not playing for ranking, you're not playing for the prize money, you're playing for the win, and the title,” Woodbridge said.
“You’re playing for that moment in Grand Slam history. That is what we are witnessing.”
Opportunity awaits 🏆
Listen to The AO Show and tell us who you think will triumph 👀 https://t.co/Q6r3CarVU1 pic.twitter.com/1ZMrzm6wYG— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) June 6, 2024
In a crucial moment like this, Sinner’s team will play a major role in keeping him in the right frame of mind.
Woodbridge believes one of the keys to the team’s success is coach Darren Cahill, who has now, extraordinarily, guided four players to world No.1 since 2003.
“You could think of him in the world of European football or soccer as one of the greatest managers that ever coached in tennis,” Woodbridge said.
“If you put it into that perspective, that’s where he sits.”