Sinner’s ‘very tough’ opening assignment in Paris: Big server or… big server!

Jannik Sinner does not yet know the identity of his opening-round opponent at next week’s Rolex Paris Masters. Yet he is already well aware that his return game will be put to the test early in his bid for a fourth ATP Masters 1000 crown of 2024.

The No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings has been drawn to face Ben Shelton or Felix Auger-Aliassime in his Paris opener. Whether it is the big-kicking lefty serve of World No. 23 Shelton or the flatter, right-handed delivery of No. 19 Auger-Aliassime he ultimately comes up against, Sinner knows he will need to adapt quickly in his first match indoors since he lifted the Rotterdam trophy in February.

“[It is a] very tough draw. A very, very difficult draw, especially here on these courts,” said Sinner in his pre-tournament press conference on Saturday in the French capital. “Big servers are very tough. But we go day by day. Then anything can happen. The draw can open up sometimes, or you never know what's coming.

“I try to prepare in the best possible way for the first-round match. It's going to be very difficult against Ben. It's very, very difficult in any case. And against Felix, I never won [in two attempts]. So it's going to be a very tough one.”

Sinner has won just one match in three appearances in Paris-Bercy. He fell to Carlos Alcaraz, in the pair’s maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting, on event debut in 2021. After another opening-round exit in 2022 (to Marc-Andrea Huesler), Sinner registered his first Rolex Paris Masters win against Mackenzie McDonald last year, but then withdrew before his third-round encounter with Alex de Minaur.

“I'm looking forward to it,” said Sinner, who is 65-6 for the season and has already sealed ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours. “I'm focused about myself, and hopefully I can raise the level from the last two years I came here, which I have struggled a little bit here on this court. So let's see.”

With just two weeks to go until the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, where Sinner will compete for the third time, the 23-year-old is seeking a big end to his standout 2024 season. He will hope to improve his 5-0 unbeaten record on hard courts for the year at an event that has crowned several unfavoured champions over the years.

“It has been a long season, but always when you arrive to the end everything can happen,” said Sinner.” Some players, they are a bit more fresher; some, they are a bit more tired.

“But I'm personally happy to be back here. It has been a tournament where I couldn't yet find my best tennis until now. But let's see what I can do this year. Hopefully it's going to be a good one but also a very, very tough one.”

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