Paul Annacone reveals why he backs Italy's Jannik Sinner for a successful grass court season

Tuesday, 18 June 2024 at 15:22

Paul Annacone, the former coach of Roger Federer and Pete Sampras, has revealed the reason behind backing Italy’s Jannik Sinner to have a good season on the grass court. The 22-year-old is already regarded as one of the most highly-rated players currently playing men’s tennis in the singles category, along with Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz.

Sinner has recently become the world number one after replacing Serbia’s Novak Djokovic at the top of the ATP rankings. The legendary tennis star lost the top spot after a difficult season in which he has yet to play in a final. He recently suffered an injury during the French Open, which forced him to withdraw from the mega-event just before the start of the quarterfinal against Norway’s Casper Ruud.

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Annacone was recently quoted in a report explaining why Sinner has the potential to do well in the grass court season as well. "For me, the most effective players on grass are the best with the first performances in the exchange" he said. "He's made a big step forward in terms of speed and accuracy with his first serve, and he's much better with his second serve.”

It will be interesting to see whether Sinner can deliver similar performances in the ongoing grass court season, where he has a win percentage of 60.

Jannik Sinner has recently become the world number one, replacing Novak Djokovic.

Sinner is having a fabulous season, and he has been unstoppable at times. He started the campaign brightly at the Australian Open, where he lifted his maiden Grand Slam title after beating Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in the final in a five-set thriller with a score of 3–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–3.

He also lifted an ATP title in Rotterdam after beating Australia’s Alex de Minaur in the final in straight sets with a score of 7-5, 6-4. Sinner’s most recent title this year came while playing in Miami, where he lifted the Miami Open after beating Grigor Dimitrov in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-1.

Azeem Siddiqui

Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.

He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.

In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.

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