- Jannik Sinner overcame an early deficit to advance to the second round of the US Open
This was not the first time in recent months that Jannik Sinner found himself in a tight spot. It was not the first time that the Italian had gotten out of there in record time.
It has been a tough week for the world number one – and his sport – since it emerged last Tuesday that he had escaped a drugs ban, despite failing two tests for a banned anabolic steroid.
He has parted ways with two of his teammates. He has had to face uncomfortable questions and has rejected accusations of special treatment. One rule for second-class players and another for the best player in the world: that is the opinion of several of Sinner’s teammates.
Well, for an hour, no one could accuse MacKenzie McDonald of giving the Italian an easy pass. In one set and one game, the American world number 140 was inspired. He broke Sinner’s serve again and again and looked for a moment like he might break his resolve, too.
But Sinner had the answers. Just as he did when his drug samples included traces of clostebol in March. Within months of those positive tests, he was free to chase a second Grand Slam in 2024 at Arthur Ashe. And on Tuesday, he went from the front of the barrel to the second round in an hour and a half.
Sinner has spent much of this summer surrounded by clouds of uncertainty. He worried that news of his failed tests could leak to the public. He worried that the International Tennis Integrity Agency would believe his argument that the adverse results were the result of a spray, a cut on a finger and a contaminated massage.
Last week he admitted he was also unsure how this whole saga would affect his reputation as the best player in the world of tennis.
Well, it certainly dampened the build-up to this tournament. It affected many of his peers, too. But it seems the tennis public is more forgiving. Maybe they were swayed by his claims of innocence. Or maybe Sinner got lucky with the schedule. Maybe the fans would have been a little more hostile if this had been a night game and the bartenders in Queens had sold a few more cocktails. We’ll never know.
Arthur Ashe Stadium was barely half empty when Sinner emerged from the locker room Tuesday afternoon. If some fans booed, as videos on social media suggested, they were barely audible inside the stadium, or distinguishable from the screams and shouts.
It was a shame for the world number one that McDonald did not show him as much mercy. Sinner was immediately forced to back down against the American, who forced five break points in the opening game before finally converting them. But he did not stop there.
McDonald had opportunities to break Sinner’s serve in each of the first five service games. Sinner was erratic, committing one unforced error after another, but the Italian was also dragged around the court by McDonald’s tremendous athleticism and touch at the net.
After a sliding pass, Sinner could only applaud. McDonald broke his serve three times en route to sealing the first set in 45 minutes. The American then turned the knife immediately, breaking Sinner’s first service game in the second set.
Tennis matches at this level can often hinge on just a handful of points and this first-round clash turned 180 degrees with seven deuces in the ensuing game.
McDonald had a chance to consolidate his lead, but Sinner saved four game points. The world number one squandered three opportunities of his own. McDonald paid the price for giving him a fourth.
From there, Sinner shifted gears. From 0-1 down, the Italian lost just two of the next 14 games and just an hour after losing the first set, he already had one foot in the second round.
Suddenly he was finding the lines and McDonald was struggling to hold on to every point. Suddenly the mood had soured at Arthur Ashe: there were moans and sighs as McDonald was slipping further and further away from the surprise.
The only surprise? After the world number one was broken early in the fourth set, McDonald won two more games before succumbing to defeat. Sinner hopes his next few days will pass more smoothly.