No one expected yesterday to be the day of Jannik Sinner’s rise to the top of the tennis world. Yet, during his match against Grigor Dimitrov in the quarterfinals of the French Open in Paris, the news broke: Djokovic, injured, had withdrawn from the tournament, making Sinner mathematically the new world No. 1. “*I thank the crowd for making all of this possible. This is a special moment for me and I am happy to share it with all of you, especially those watching from Italy”.
Sinner’s joy was also shared on social media, where he posted a photo accompanied by these words: “A special day for me, my first Roland Garros semifinal, and reaching the world No. 1 ranking. Grateful for this moment, something we’ve worked so hard for, but the work doesn’t end here, let’s go!!!”
Jannik Sinner will officially become the world No. 1 on Monday, June 10. The news was confirmed while the young Italian was playing in the quarterfinals against Grigor Dimitrov, with Djokovic’s withdrawal being the decisive factor. Sinner commented: “What can I say? This is everyone’s dream. I’m sorry to have reached this milestone due to Djokovic’s withdrawal. I wish him a speedy recovery, and now I’ll try not to think about it too much because I want to play my best tennis in this tournament. I thank my team; none of this would be possible without them, but also without you (addressing the crowd). This is a special moment for me. I am very happy to share it with you and those watching from home in Italy. Let’s see how it goes in the semifinal on Friday.”
Photo from the official Facebook profile