Tennis Player: "It is very difficult to play well in Cincinnati"

Andrés Tomás Rico | 14 Aug 2025 | 02.58

Sinner: "It is very difficult to play good tennis in Cincinnati". Photo: Getty Images

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Jannik Sinner sweated profusely to pull through a tough and tangled match against Adrian Mannarino. First, under the blazing Ohio sun, and after a more than three-hour rain delay, conditions did not favor the tennis number one who, despite not finding his game, seized the few opportunities granted by the Frenchman to claim victory (6-4, 7-6(4)) and advance to the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati ATP.

In fact, in the penultimate round of the American tournament, he will face off against Felix Auger-Aliassime, who can boast of being one of the few players on the circuit to hold a positive head-to-head record against the Italian (2-0). Reflecting on his match against the Canadian, the challenges of defeating Mannarino, and the difficulty of showcasing one's best tennis in a place as variable as Cincinnati, the Italian spoke in an interview with Tennis Channel.

A headache to play against Mannarino

"There are many factors that make him a very tough opponent. First of all, he's left-handed and keeps the ball low, then he puts a lot of spin, both on his forehand and backhand. I was simply trying to figure out what could work against him at certain moments. I adjusted my position on the return to read his serve better, also tried to disrupt his rhythm. But the truth is, he served very well throughout the match."

A match marked by the rain delay

"In these kinds of matches, you have to try to feel the ball, but it was very challenging with the rain delay. In those moments, you try to relax your mind, chat with your team, and then, when you return to the court, you try to regain the level shown earlier. But it's not always easy; tennis has many ups and downs, so I'm very happy to be in the quarterfinals."

Playing one's best tennis in Cincinnati, almost impossible mission

"Today he served very well, in fact, I didn't have many opportunities on the return. The first set was very tough, but in the end, I had my chance. I think I said it last year, but it's very difficult to play well in Cincinnati. Sometimes it's windy, other times it rains, and then the sun comes out. You never know what might happen, but you have to stay mentally focused."

Eager to defeat Auger-Aliassime for the first time

"I've never beaten Auger-Aliassime; we had a very tough match here in 2019, I had a match point, but it was a great battle. He has a lot of potential, especially when his serve is on, and it will be very challenging, but honestly, I'm looking forward to playing against him. I like these challenges and I hope to reach my level because if I want to play well against him, I have to elevate my game. So, we'll see what happens, the quarterfinals represent the final stages of tournaments, and I enjoy being in those contexts," states Jannik Sinner, who, despite not displaying his most effective tennis, progresses in Cincinnati while keeping his sights on the title.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Sinner: "Es muy difícil jugar bien al tenis en Cincinnati"