TOPSHOT – Italian Jannik Sinner takes a selfie with his orange fans “Carota Boys” after … (+)
Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev were the last two remaining Grand Slam champions in the men’s tournament at the US Open, and whoever emerged from their quarterfinals on Wednesday night was considered the favorite to lift the trophy on Sunday.
Andy Roddick had complained that it “feels like a crime” that the numbers 1 and 5 seeds met in the quarterfinals.
Sinner beat Medvedev 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 to reach his first US Open semifinal, where he will face No. 25 Briton Jack Draper on Friday. No. 12 Taylor Fritz and No. 20 Frances Tiafoe will meet in an all-American semifinal in the other half of the tournament.
Sinner, the 23-year-old Italian, is seeking the second major title of his career after defeating Medvedev at the Australian Open in January. He is the first man born after 1988 to reach the semifinals of all four majors.
Although he is the last major winner in the tournament after upset wins over No. 2 Novak Djokovic and No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner said that does not automatically make him the favorite. Draper, the 22-year-old left-hander, is in top form and has not dropped a set on his way to his first major semifinal. On Wednesday, he defeated No. 10 Alex De Minaur of Australia 6-3, 7-5, 6-2.
“Everyone, whether they’re in the quarterfinals, semifinals or round of 16, deserves to be there,” Sinner said. “You know, no victory is a given… you always have to find a solution for every opponent. I think that’s what I’m trying to do.”
He added: “I’m happy to be in this position and try to play great tennis. And like I said, Jack is playing fantastic tennis. You know, maybe the best tennis he’s played so far. So it’s going to be a tough match.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 4: Jack Draper of Great Britain reacts against Alex De Minaur of … (+)
Sinner and Draper have been friends since their junior days and played doubles together at the Canadian Open last month. Draper cited Sinner as a source of inspiration for his career.
“Jannik is a good friend, someone I am definitely close to,” he said.
“You know, we message each other in good times and bad. It’s a tough sport when you’re young. You’re on the road and you’re doing such a relentlessly intense sport, both physically and emotionally. It’s difficult, we don’t have many friends.
“To have the support of someone who is going through this himself is really great. So, yeah, I have a lot of respect for Jannik and it was great to play doubles with him in Montreal. I think we played great doubles together. I had never won a doubles match on tour, so obviously it was great to play with the No. 1 player in the world and I definitely learned a lot about playing doubles and had a lot of fun with him.”
Sinner appears to have put the pre-tournament controversy behind him, during which the world number one tested positive for a banned substance but escaped punishment.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) acquitted Sinner after he failed two doping tests in March. However, he has always maintained his innocence and stated that less than a billionth of a gram of clostebol was found in his body.
Djokovic called for “clear protocols” and a “standardized” approach to doping cases, while Australian Nick Kyrgios said Sinner should have been banned regardless of the type of doping, whether it was “accidental or planned.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 3: Roger Federer competes on day nine of the 2024 US Open … (+)
Roger Federer expressed his thoughts this week in an interview with NBCand said, “I understand the frustration that comes with asking yourself, ‘Was he treated the same as others?’ And I think that’s what it comes down to.”
“I think we all largely trust that Jannik did nothing, but the possible inconsistency that he did not have to sit out while you were not 100 percent sure what was going on is, in my opinion, the question that needs to be answered.
“This is not something we want to see in our sport – news like this – regardless of whether he or any other player did something or not,” Federer said.
“This is just noise that we don’t want. I understand that it is a delicate situation. It is every athlete’s and team’s nightmare to have these accusations and problems.”
“And it lives with you. Every morning you wake up, you think, ‘Is someone coming to the door to test me?’ So it’s really difficult,” added the 20-time major champion.
Sinner, who had separated from his physio and fitness coach before the Open, remained loyal to his inner circle in the wake of the doping allegations and people close to him say he has learned who his friends are – and who are not.
“I have my team and my people who are close to me,” he said after the win against Medvedev. “They know me, they know that I always stick with the people who know me and believe in me. That is a very important part. And of course I am very happy to have them, as a coach and also off the court. Yes, it was a bit difficult at the beginning, of course, but it got better day by day. So yes, I am happy about that. Let’s see what I can do in the semifinals now.”
