How big is the distance between Sinner and the others?
Auger-Aliassime, being the 18th of the year, has only managed to win two games against Jannik. And the massacre could have been greater if the Italian hadn't made a mistake in those two games.
Minutes after the end of the match between Jannik Sinner and Félix Auger-Aliassime, the Canadian's performance is still being discussed as he left the court having suffered a beating and completely demoralized. Is the difference between them really that significant?
Honestly, I don't believe that the distance between the 18th and the number 1 player of the year is so enormous. We're talking about a player who today could only manage five winners and committed 29 unforced errors. He racked up 8 double faults and in the first set could only score seven points. He exited having celebrated only 27 points throughout the match.
These numbers are more fitting for someone ranked much lower, maybe even beyond the Top 100. It's possible that two things are at play here: an error in how to approach the match and a lack of belief that today he could harm Jannik. I wouldn't say that Félix's game couldn't beat the Italian because, until today, in the two times they faced off, the Canadian emerged victorious both times. Therefore, that's not the issue.
When you face Sinner, to beat him, the first thing you have to do is believe in yourself. If you step onto the court defeated from the locker room, it's normal to receive a beating like Félix did today. The Canadian seemed demoralized from the early games. As if he wasn't convinced that he could compete against the world number 1. There's a stark contrast in his body language compared to what Adrian Mannarino displayed in the previous round.
Despite his weaknesses, the Frenchman knew how to exploit his strengths to make life difficult for Sinner, who even hesitated with the prospect of going to a third set. No doubt Félix has many virtues to stand up to Jannik, but if he himself doesn't believe he can do it, he's on the wrong path.
It's true he has a vulnerability on his backhand side. Something that has been known for years but has exacerbated over time. Sinner only had to target that area to gain advantage. Add to that the fact that today his serve was completely off (0 aces and 8 double faults), and it's game over.
Given what happened this evening at the Cincinnati ATP, Sinner's opponents, regardless of their ranking, must understand one thing. Right now, the Italian and Carlos Alcaraz (to a lesser extent) are like the Federer and Nadal of the 2004-2009 era. They win wearing the jersey, and many walk out of the locker room defeated knowing they can't beat them.
And thanks to the archives, we have confessions from their rivals during that time stating they were even trembling with nerves when standing next to them in the hallway before going out to play. Hence, it's difficult to defeat them. Very difficult, of course, but that's the job of each one. Because if they don't do it, they will never get close to the top two in the present, and they don't want that.
Sportingly, you have to lose the respect for them. Shed the fear of who they are. And this is work done off the court, psychologically. And then, fearlessly, exploit your strengths and play a game that bothers or hurts them. Because they are not invincible. Neither of them. Not even Sinner. This is where studying the game comes in, and what others like Dimitrov did at Wimbledon, making Jannik hesitate.
It's concerning (not to say "bad") that the 18th player of the year could only win two games against Sinner. And they could have been zero if the Italian hadn't had a lapse in those two games. The distance cannot and should not be that wide. Hopefully, everyone understands this and gives us a slightly more competitive circuit. Unlike that time, there isn't an attractive and competitive second line at the moment. Currently, players like Medvedev, Zverev, Rune, Rublev, Tsitsipas, Shelton, Ruud, Draper, De Miñaur, and others fluctuate like a rollercoaster. Some are more up than down, and it seems that the tournaments only offer excitement up until the semis or final.
It's understandable that from Rome, Sinner and Alcaraz have always been seen in the final. Right now, the rest have lost the belief that they can beat them. We'll see what happens in Cincinnati and the US Open, but for now, each match involving the Italian feels like a slaughter. The gap between Jannik and those who don't have Alcaraz as their surname is enormous.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, ¿Tan grande es la distancia entre Sinner y los demás?