Jannik Sinner injury concern deepens after Daniil Medvedev battle ahead of Casper Ruud Italian Open final

Jannik Sinner is heading into the Italian Open final with fitness concerns after a tough semifinal battle against Daniil Medvedev in Rome. The World No. 1 looked uncomfortable during the match and was seen holding his right knee and thigh several times at Foro Italico. He later needed a medical timeout during the deciding set, which immediately raised questions about his condition before the final against Casper Ruud. Even with the physical struggle, Sinner still managed to pull off a hard-fought 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 win in front of his home fans. The match was also interrupted by heavy rain, forcing play to continue on Saturday after being stopped late Friday night. After the victory, the Italian star admitted that the unusual situation affected him mentally and physically, especially because he had to return the next day to finish the match.Sinner started strongly and completely controlled the opening set. But things changed in the second set when Medvedev raised his level and began moving Sinner around the court more aggressively. The long rallies appeared to trouble the Italian physically, and his movement slowly dropped as the match became more intense.

Jannik Sinner admits sleepless night before Casper Ruud final after injury scare against Daniil Medvedev

Speaking after the semifinal win, Jannik Sinner openly spoke about the difficult night he went through after the rain suspension and the fitness worries surrounding him before the final. “I struggled a bit to sleep this night. It has been a situation I haven’t been in yet, where you need to finish when you’re nearly over with the match. You sleep, you don’t know what’s coming out the next day,” Sinner said during his press conference.The Italian also admitted that his body is not feeling perfect at this stage of the tournament, but he was happy he still found a way to finish the match. “Yeah, I think it’s normal that not every day we feel 100%. I tried to play with the best possible energy I have. Yesterday brought me to a point where I was up today. Today I’m very happy that I finished it,” he added.Despite the injury concerns, Sinner will still enter the final as the favorite. He has beaten Casper Ruud in all four of their previous meetings and will now try to continue that strong record in front of the Italian crowd. The final also gives Sinner a chance to achieve another huge milestone in his career. If he wins the Italian Open title, he will move one step closer to completing the Career Golden Masters, a rare achievement in tennis. Only Novak Djokovic has won all nine ATP Masters 1000 titles so far.Sinner said reaching another final in Rome means a lot to him, especially after losing last year’s title match to Carlos Alcaraz. “Yeah, obviously very happy. It’s a very special tournament for me and for us Italians. I’m very happy to find myself again in the final. But mentally I know tomorrow is a tough match. Final’s always very different to play. Happy to find myself again in any case in the final. Let’s see what’s coming,” Sinner said.