Sinner reaches French Open semi-finals and secures world number one ranking
PARIS: Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner stepped up his bid for a second Grand Slam title by defeating Grigor Dimitrov with a decisive 6-2, 6-4, 7-6(3) victory on Tuesday, advancing to the French Open semi-finals. This win came shortly after the announcement that Sinner will ascend to the world number one ranking on Monday, regardless of the French Open outcome, following Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal due to a knee injury.
The 22-year-old Sinner will make history as the first Italian player to claim the top spot in the ATP rankings since their inception 51 years ago. Reflecting on his achievement, Sinner said, “What can I say? First of all, it’s every player’s dream to be number one. On the other hand, seeing Novak retiring here is, for everyone, disappointing. I wish him a quick recovery.”
Sinner, who was unaware of his imminent rise to number one during the match, shared his joy with the fans, “This is a tournament I used to struggle a lot, especially the last two years. I’m happy to be in the semi-finals. It’s a special moment for me. I’m very happy to share this with you guys and everyone at home watching from Italy.”
Despite his flawless Grand Slam record this year, Sinner faces a potentially challenging match against the winner of the quarter-final between fellow young star Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
