"Will make things really difficult for Carlos Alcaraz" - Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni on Jannik Sinner being "unstoppable" after US Open triumph
Jannik Sinner emerged victorious at the 2024 US Open and further solidified his position as the best male tennis player in the world at the moment. His exploits in New York earned praise from across the sporting world, and Rafael Nadal's uncle and former coach Toni Nadal recently gave his take on what makes Sinner 'unstoppable'.
Sinner faced Taylor Fritz in the final of the 2024 US Open on September 8 and did not let the American No. 1, playing his maiden Major final, find any way to get a foothold. Sinner broke Fritz six times over three sets to register a remarkable 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 win and take home his first US Open title. The World No. 1 gained 2000 points with his triumph at Flushing Meadows and took his total points tally to 11,180, 4,105 points clear of World No. 2 Alexander Zverev.
Toni Nadal, the legendary Spanish coach and uncle to Rafael Nadal, gave his take on Sinner's game and commended his ability to dictate the play. In an article for the Spanish newspaper El Pais, Toni opined that Sinner has now become nearly unbeatable for any player on the ATP Tour.
The 63-year-old added that it is very difficult to get the Italian to make an unforced error from the back of the court. He believes Fritz made a tactical mistake by trying to play faster rallies and surprise Sinner with a winner.
"Today, he has become a player who is practically unstoppable for the vast majority of his opponents. He is capable of delivering each of his strokes with great speed and of making very few unforced errors. Overcoming him from the back of the court is almost impossible, and this is precisely, in my opinion, the mistake that Fritz made in the first two sets: making the wrong decision to play very fast rallies from the back of the court and trying to surprise him or hit a winner; but making the Italian miss was, as we could see, practically impossible," Nadal wrote (translated from Spanish).
Toni Nadal then gave his take on the current status of the rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Nadal said that he enjoys watching Alcaraz more and that the level of growth in Sinner's mentality makes him more dangerous for the Spanish No. 1.
"If I may return to Alcaraz, since he is the one we care about, I must say that I still enjoy his game more - I like him even more - but I must also admit and fear that the current leader's notable improvement, especially on a mental level, will make things really difficult for him. The rivalry is definitely on," Toni Nadal said (translated from Spanish).
Toni Nadal impressed by Jannik Sinner's mental toughness during US Open 2024 victory run
Jannik Sinner's win at the 2024 US Open came just weeks after he was involved in a doping controversy. After his triumph at the Cincinnati Open, it was revealed that the 23-year-old had failed two doping tests in March. The news sent shock waves throughout the tennis world, leading to a barrage of criticism towards Sinner.
Toni Nadal stated in the same article that he was impressed by the way Sinner handled the situation and braved mental demons to take home the top prize in New York.
"In the week before the start of the competition we were wondering how the incessant controversy generated by his possible double doping could affect him, after the final and his magnificent performance, the Italian has shown once again that he not only has one of the best games on the circuit but also has the temperament to face really complicated situations. Surely the fact that he has a clear conscience has helped him to cope," Nadal wrote in El Pais (translated from Spanish).
Jannik Sinner has made changes to his team after the doping saga. He parted ways with his physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, and fitness trainer, Umberto Ferrera, who were central figures in his scandal. The Italian has reportedly acquired the services of Novak Djokovic's former fitness coach Marco Panichi to replace the latter.