"Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka now have a fear factor" - Jimmy Connors on duo developing 'special' edge over opponents after US Open success
Jimmy Connors has praised Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka for instilling fear in their opponents by developing an intimidating killer instinct. The American legend made the complimentary remarks following the pair's success at the 2024 US Open.
Sinner and Sabalenka kicked off their 2024 season triumphantly, with the Belarusian successfully defending her Australian Open title and the Italian clinching his maiden Major title at the Melbourne Slam. With their respective US Open triumphs, the duo also swept the hardcourt Majors for the year.
On the latest episode of the Advantage Connors podcast, Jimmy Connors expressed his belief that both Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka have cultivated an imposing "fear factor." The American suggested that the psychological advantage could help them win matches before stepping onto the court.
"She doesn’t want to start neutral. She wants to be aggressive and try to take advantage of that at the very beginning and intimidate. So here’s my thought, Jannik Sinner and Sabalenka now have a fear factor, the other players fear them now," Connors said.
"So what that means is, are they going to start winning matches before they even walk out there. The confidence, ‘I’ll play you for five hours if need be, whatever it takes, you’re going to have to figure out a way to beat me because hopefully I don’t beat myself,'" he added.
Connors also emphasized that this mental edge is the mark of a "great player," asserting that the killer mentality Sinner and Sabalenka have developed is "pretty special."
"To me, that’s what great players work for. They have the game and they have the mentality and they have everything that goes along with winning matches but they have that little something extra that lets their opponent know that, 'You gotta kill me to beat me.' That’s something special and I think the two of them, Sinner and Sabalenka, now have that. That’s pretty special," Connors said.
Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka set to kick off Asian swing at China Open in Beijing
Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka will return to action at the China Open in Beijing. While the Italian will attempt to defend the ATP 500 title, Sabalenka will battle it out for her second WTA 1000 title of the season. The event is scheduled to kick off on September 25.
While the duo will look to continue their winning ways during the Asian swing, they have both opted to enjoy some time off with their significant others after their respective victories at the US Open.
Sabalenka has embarked on a relaxing getaway to Switzerland with her boyfriend Georgios Frangulis, sharing glimpses of their picturesque vacation on social media. Sinner, meanwhile, chose to enjoy a night out in New York with his girlfriend and fellow tennis player Anna Kalinskaya.