At Roland Garros, Jannik Sinner’s greatest rival will be the weight of history, not the opponents standing across the net. After opening up a vast gap in level over the past few months, the Italian is beginning to show the pressure that comes with everyone assuming he is the overwhelming favourite in Paris.
“I know what kind of player I am. If you don’t feel pressure, it means you don’t care — and I care a lot about what I’m trying to achieve on a tennis court,” the world number one told reporters after defeating France’s Clément Tabur 6-1, 6-3, 6-4.
Sinner has been in total command of the tour in recent months, winning consecutive titles in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome. He has not lost a match since February 19 and arrived in Paris as only the second player in history to win all nine Masters 1000 titles.
Because of those records, people already assume he will lift his first Roland Garros trophy on Sunday, June 7 and complete the career Grand Slam. He, however, refuses to dramatise the possibility of a different ending.
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“The world is not going to end if I lose. Either way, I always try to give my best. I’m a competitor and I try to put myself in the best possible position, that’s all,” added the four-time Grand Slam champion.
Defeat never looked remotely possible in his opening match in Paris. Although he needed four match points to close out the encounter, he dropped just eight games, faced no break points against him and won 59 of the 76 points played on his serve.
The match was played in the night session, allowing the 2025 finalist to avoid the high temperatures Paris has experienced this week. The issue was raised in his press conference, particularly because the problems he suffered with the heat at this year’s Australian Open and in the 2025 Cincinnati final — where he retired trailing Carlos Alcaraz 5-0 — are still fresh in memory.
“I’m happy to play at night and I’m happy to play during the day, wherever they put me. I handled the heat well in Indian Wells this year, we prepared well for that. Here the heat is different, but the humidity is not as strong as in Australia or the United States” he said.
His words will be put to the test this Thursday, when he faces Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerúndolo in the second round of the tournament, at midday in Paris. The French sun will be a challenge, but everyone still believes that nothing and no one can stop Sinner. Only himself.
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