Follow us on Google Discover Playing Jannik Sinner is never easy, and unless your name is Carlos Alcaraz, matches against him usually only end up going in one direction.
Sinner has won 43 matches since the start of the year, and considering he’s missed three months of action, that is quite remarkable.
Tim Henman praised Sinner for his efforts in his recent Six Kings Slam match, and he’s once again set up another final against Alcaraz.
Facing off against Sinner is not an easy thing to do, and for one ATP star, he’s been sharing what facing the juggernaut that is the Italian is really like.
Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty ImagesAlejandro Tabilo shares what was so hard about playing Jannik Sinner
Sinner is currently chasing the world number one spot after relinquishing the spot to Alcaraz after losing to the Spaniard in the US Open final.
Stefanos Tsitsipas was full of praise for Sinner after their Six Kings Slam clash, and it would appear that some of the lesser-ranked players find it hard to come up against the Italian.
In 2024, Tabilo came up against Sinner at the Cincinnati Open and he’s now shared what playing the great man himself was actually like.
In an interview with The Tennis Vibes, he’s admitted that he struggled to live with the player during their one and only match on the ATP Tour.
He said: “Sinner didn’t surprise me with his ball speed in absolute terms, but for another aspect: it’s normal that he has a higher average pace than everyone else, but it’s phenomenal how he maintains it both throughout the match and when moving away from the centre.
“I remember trying to make him move, and I was getting blasted with shots even when he was at the sides of the court; for him, it makes no difference, and in this, he’s incredible”
What happened when Alejandro Tabilo played Jannik Sinner
It’s fair to say that it didn’t end well for the Chilean performer at the Cincinnati Open and he’s probably not too fussed that they’ve not met since!
The match took place at the Cincinnati Open and during the round of 16 game in 2024, Sinner ran out a comfortable 6-4, 6-3 victory to progress in the tournament.
Tabilo is currently the world number 72, and in 2025, he’s regressed somewhat, having been the world number 19 in July 2024 after a decent run of form.
The 28-year-old has never gone beyond the third round in any of the four Grand Slams and the challenge for him in the future is to start honing his skills and climbing the world rankings.