Jannik Sinner’s suspension leaves a void: Brad Gilbert suggests Italian would’ve dominated Indian Wells

Former Coco Gauff coach Brad Gilbert commented on the Indian Wells semi-final results, asserting that Jannik Sinner would have reached the final if he had competed in the tournament. The World No. 1 is currently serving a three-month suspension, and after Carlos Alcaraz’s semi-final exit, Sinner extends his lead at the top of the rankings.

A year ago, Sinner tested positive for Clostebol right after competing at Indian Wells. Initially, his punishment was the removal of ranking points and prize money from the tournament (where he had reached the semi-finals), meaning he had no points to defend this week.

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The early exit of Alexander Zverev and Alcaraz’s failure to defend his title only widened Sinner’s ranking lead. Despite the Italian not competing, his two main rivals couldn’t capitalise on the opportunity to claim the title, even as top favourites.

Early exits from players like Casper Ruud (No. 5) and Taylor Fritz (No. 4) paved the way for new contenders to emerge. Still, few would have predicted a final between Holger Rune and Jack Draper, set to take place this Sunday.

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On the matter, former Coco Gauff coach Brad Gilbert believed that if Sinner had played, he would’ve reached the final without question: “Biggest takeaway from IW on the men’s side: way more opportunity for a final like we have today with the absence of Sin City 🌆. The way he’s been playing these last 18 months, he would’ve been in the final today.”

Sinner will return to the court at the Italian Open, but he’ll miss three more Masters 1000 events: the Miami Open (2024 champion), the Monte-Carlo Masters (semi-finals), and the Madrid Open (quarter-finals).

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