Jannik Sinner's Paris Olympics 2024 in jeopardy as Italian contracts fever before departure: Reports
Jannik Sinner's availability to compete for Italy at the upcoming Olympic Games was put in jeopardy after a fever forced him to delay his trip to the French capital. He was originally scheduled to depart with the team on Tuesday, June 23, but is now set to leave only on Thursday, June 25, after a re-evaluation.
The Italian tennis federation confirmed Sinner's participation in his first-ever Summer Games last month, where he is due to take part in both the singles and doubles events.
Sinner, the 22-year-old Italian, has been in scintillating form this year, which has seen him rise to the top of the men’s rankings. He won his maiden Grand Slam title in Melbourne at the start of the year and also picked up the crowns in Rotterdam and Miami. While he didn't find as much success on the clay, he kicked off his Grasscourt swing in tremendous fashion by claiming his first title on the surface in Halle, seeing off Hubert Hurkacz in the finals.
His Wimbledon campaign was cut short in the quarterfinals against Daniil Medvedev, with an illness hindering him throughout the contest. He was even forced to leave the court during the match because of it, and it looks like it has come back to haunt him once again in the lead-up to arguably the biggest sporting event this year.
Leading Italian news agency ANSA reported earlier today that the 22-year-old Italian had fallen sick and that he would only head to Paris on Thursday, one night before the opening ceremony.
The draw for the tennis competition for the 2024 Olympic Games is scheduled to take place on Thursday, with the opening matches set to kick off on Saturday.
The men's playing field for the singles draw promises plenty of action rising stars like Carlos Alcaraz and seasoned veterans like Novak Djokovic, all in the hunt for their first Olympic gold. Rafael Nadal is also set to feature, and he could very well pick up a second gold on the same courts where he's won an unprecedented 14 Roland Garros trophies.
Sinner enters the Olympics as a favorite for gold, should he eventually compete. He holds a 42-4 match record this season, along with four titles.
Jannik Sinner to join forces with Lorenzo Musetti in doubles competition
Jannik Sinner is set to star in doubles action for Italy at the 2024 Paris Olympics alongside reigning Wimbledon semifinalist Lorenzo Musetti, the Italian tennis federation confirmed last month.
Musetti, the World No. 17, is coming off a brilliant Grasscourt campaign that saw him reach his first Grand Slam semifinals at the All England Club. He defeated the likes of Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Taylor Fritz before succumbing to seven-time champion Novak Djokovic. He also reached the finals at the Queen's Club and the semifinals in Stuttgart.
Sinner has previously competed for Italy in doubles events. He teamed up with Lorenzo Sonego during their title-winning run at the Davis Cup last year. The Italian most recently played in the doubles event at the Halle Open alongside Hubert Hurkacz. He has a 23-24 match record and has won one title at the 2021 Atlanta Open alongside Reiley Opelka.