Jannik Sinner will be fully recovered in time for the US Open to begin, according to one of his coaches.
The world No.1 recently suffered a setback at the Cincinnati Masters after retiring in the final against Carlos Alcaraz due to illness. Sinner was broken three times in a row and went down 0-5 before calling it quits due to a virus he caught. It was the first time he had retired from a match since the 2023 Halle Open and the first time he had retired from a match played at an event categorized as a Masters 1000 or above since the 2022 French Open.
Providing an update on Sinner’s current fitness, coach Darren Cahill told ESPN on Wednesday that the four-time major winner is expected to return to practice today in New York. The first round of singles matches will get underway on Sunday.
“Jannik suffered from a virus that forced him to retire against Alcaraz on Monday. He’s feeling a bit better now, will rest today, and is expected back on court Thursday. We are confident he’s going to be fine,” said Cahill.
Sinner is seeking to become the first player in almost 20 years to defend the men’s title at Flushing Meadows. The last to do so was Roger Federer, who won the event five years in a row between 2004 and 2008.
One of the players hoping to stop Sinner in his tracks will be Alcaraz, who won the title in 2022. The Spaniard also has a shot at dethroning his rival from the top of the rankings at the tournament. Alcaraz will enter the US Open with a 1,890-point advantage. However, last year at the Grand Slam, Sinner won 1950 points more than his rival, who lost in the second round.
Both players will learn their path to the title on Thursday when the draw is announced at 5pm BST (12pm local time).
