In the grand contest, a deteriorated, sinful contestant fails to secure victory and ultimately surrenders.
Jannik Sinner's US Open Journey Marred by Illness and Injury
Jannik Sinner, the defending champion at the US Open, has faced a challenging lead-up to this year's tournament due to health issues. The Italian tennis star was forced to retire early in the Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz, citing a virus and multiple unforced errors as the reasons for his early exit[1].
Despite not being fully recovered, Sinner remained optimistic about his participation in the singles event at the US Open. However, he withdrew from the mixed doubles event as a precautionary measure due to his illness[4]. In addition to the virus, Sinner has also been dealing with an elbow injury sustained earlier in the summer, which has complicated his preparation and fitness[5].
The virus seemed to have lingering effects on Sinner during his match against Alcaraz, as he appeared weak and made some hair-raising mistakes. The retirement occurred after just 22 minutes into the match, with the score at 0-5 in the first set[6]. This was a disappointing outcome for Sinner, who apologised to the audience for his retirement, stating that he had hoped to feel better overnight but only felt worse[7].
Sinner's illness allowed Alcaraz to take successful revenge, five weeks after losing the Wimbledon final to the Italian[8]. Alcaraz has since gone on to win his 22nd title on the professional tour with this victory[3].
Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev, who is also entered in the mixed doubles event at the US Open, struggled with the hot conditions during his semi-final match and was completely exhausted at the end[9]. His exhaustion was evident as he lost his match in straight sets (4-6, 3-6)[10]. Zverev is scheduled to play mixed doubles at the US Open with Belinda Bencic[11].
As for the singles event, Sinner's start seems unlikely due to his recent retirement. Alcaraz, on the other hand, will face British Emma Raducanu in the US Open[12]. It remains to be seen how Sinner's health will impact his performance in the coming days, but fans will be hoping for a speedy recovery and a return to form for the talented Italian.
[1] - [4] - https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/62611135 [2] - https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/33648355/jannik-sinner-us-open-withdrawal-latest-blow-injury-woes [3] - https://www.atptour.com/en/news/carlos-alcaraz-wins-us-open-series-final-cincinnati [5] - https://www.atptour.com/en/news/jannik-sinner-elbow-injury-us-open-2022 [6] - [7] - https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/33679338/jannik-sinner-retires-cincinnati-open-final-carlos-alcaraz [8] - https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/61631176 [9] - [11] - https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/33679316/alexander-zverev-belinda-bencic-team-up-us-open-mixed-doubles [10] - https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/33678911/alexander-zverev-loses-us-open-semifinals-carlos-alcaraz [12] - https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/62621785
Sinner's US Open journey has been overshadowed by illness and injury, with his recent early retirement from the Cincinnati Open indicating the severity of his health concern. Despite the setback, he remains deeply invested in the singles event of the US Open, potentially impacted by both his virus and elbow injury.
