Jannik Sinner and the reasons why he can make a quality leap on clay courts

Diego Jiménez Rubio | 8 May 2025 | 22.22

Jannik Sinner, improvement on clay courts. Photo: gettyimages

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Unprecedented and very challenging situation that Jannik Sinner will face in the coming weeks, returning to competition after a three-month suspension and doing so on clay courts, the surface on which he has the most room for improvement. The 2025 ATP Masters 1000 Rome sets the stage for a player with significant physical changes and a clear tactical plan for success.

He has played 76 top-level matches in his career on clay, with a respectable balance of 54-22. He has only one title on this surface in his record (Umag 2022) and has not even reached another final. In Roland Garros, he suffered an extremely tough defeat against Altmaier two years ago that left a mark on many fans. All that is true, but no more than the evident signs of progress shown last year and the fact that in Paris, apart from the setback with the German player, only Rublev, Nadal (on two occasions), and Alcaraz have managed to beat him in a thrilling and memorable match last year.

It would be foolish to think that Sinner will not achieve great success on a surface he has already proven he can adapt to perfectly. Evidence of this is provided by the data from Tennis Insights and TDI Data for the ATP, which shows a stellar performance in matches played in Monte Carlo and Madrid in the last season, highlighting adjustments made in his forehand that were particularly interesting.

In these, one can see how he was able to impart more spin to the ball, without losing any aggressiveness, as demonstrated by the fact that his shots pass only 69 centimeters on average above the net. The most striking aspect is how he uses this shot to find winners, highlighting that his backhand reliability allows him to take more risks with his forehand, a shot that becomes lethal with more preparation time on this surface.

A very high percentage of his forehand shots aim for the lines to overwhelm his opponents, finding that desired balance between consistency and aggression. The playing style of the Italian last year was already characteristic of a rising legend, but it might have been influenced by the concern generated by the first news about doping positives, as well as by physical issues that led him to withdraw in the Madrid quarterfinals and skip the Rome competition.

- Sinner changed his game on clay back in 2024 and is aiming high for 2025

Adding to all this is how he managed to step out of his comfort zone by using drop shots more frequently than expected, it is clear that Jannik Sinner's game can be formidable. He executed that shot 29 times with a very high efficiency level, losing the point in only four of them. Having the opponent at the net against a player who consistently finds winners forces rivals to take a step back to have more time, but if Jannik continues to increase his use of drop shots, his game could become nearly unstoppable.

What is clear is that the major area where the Italian needed to improve on clay was the physical aspect. While he has been gaining strength over the years, increasing power in the lower body was crucial for him to withstand the physical demands of competing on clay, a surface that involves challenging movements with constant slips, recoveries, changes of direction, and pace.

Judging from the images of Jannik Sinner in his training sessions before the 2025 ATP Masters 1000 Rome, it seems that the world number 1 has taken advantage of these three months away from competition to work hard in the gym, acquiring a much more noticeable muscular tone in both his upper and lower body. He must have focused on various activities to enhance his physical endurance, which at times has been a setback, especially on this surface. Ultimately, Jannik Sinner is ready to succeed on clay courts.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Jannik Sinner y los motivos por los que puede dar un salto de calidad sobre tierra batida