In Halle, Sinner will try to live up to his new status!
Jannik Sinner is about to discover what it means to play a tennis tournament as world number 1. It's a very special status, and one that will further raise the already high expectations surrounding him.
Indeed, even if he won't be the only big name present in Halle (Zverev, Medvedev, Rublev, Hurkacz, Tsitsipas...), almost everyone is expecting him to triumph. Returning to a surface he has already managed to tame (semi-finalist at Wimbledon last year), Sinner will have to find his rhythm quickly. He's likely to discover that if it's hard enough to become world number 1, it's even harder to stay there and avoid the incessant media criticism.
The draw for the main draw in Germany was clearly not kind to the Transalpine player. He was drawn against Tallon Griekspoor (23rd) in his first match, before potentially taking on Roman Safiullin, an opponent he faced in the Wimbledon quarter-finals last year. The rest of the tournament doesn't look much easier, as he may have to face Tsitsipas, Medvedev or Bublik before potentially facing Zverev in the final.
As for the rest of the field, the performances of most of the seeded players will be closely watched, but Matteo Berrettini, who still seems to love grass, and Brazilian nugget Joao Fonseca should not be overlooked.
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