Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner’s Cincinnati Open Triumph 2024 – A Preview of the US Open?
Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner made significant breakthroughs and showcased their aggressive play on the fast courts at the Cincinnati Open 2024.
Their results in Ohio might serve as a preview of what to expect on the similarly fast surfaces in New York, especially with the US Open rapidly approaching.
Indeed, the ATP and WTA 1000 event’s central theme and distinguishing characteristic was speed. The court surface received a rating of 42 from the pace rating instruments used by the circuits, which is a major improvement from 2023 and a rating that is much higher than almost every other event, including Wimbledon.
Perhaps more importantly, Cincinnati won’t stand out in that way this year because the US Open courts are said to be playing almost as quickly. Thus, what transpired in Ohio’s plains may have been a prelude to events that would unfold in New York’s concrete jungle throughout the coming weeks.
There were several reasons why what occurred in Cincinnati was not entirely unexpected. After unexpected dry spells in the middle of the year, Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka—two of the hardest and most aggressive hitters on their respective tours—reclaimed the limelight and their early-season momentum.
Both won the Australian Open to start 2024, with Sinner rising to the top for the first time. However, neither won at Wimbledon or Roland Garros, and they were both forced to skip the Olympics. Their pathways have now risen together once more. They went from having doubts about their fitness to maybe being the favorites to end the season the way they began—winning the US Open—in the course of just one week.
Sinner and Sabalenka both overcame a formidable opponent to gain confidence-boosting victories in the semifinals on Sunday. Sabalenka defeated No. 1 Iga Swiatek, a woman with an 8-3 record against her, with what she called a “brilliant” performance. After that, Sinner defeated Alexander Zverev in three grueling sets and the decisive tiebreaker. It was also the Italian’s first victory on hard courts and his first victory against the German since 2020.
On Monday, Sinner and Sabalenka demonstrated their formidable strength and first-strike ability on such courts, leaving no room for disappointment.
Once more, Sabalenka took the lead, controlling Jessica Pegula throughout the bulk of their 6-3, 7-5 victory. A lot of us anticipated a game of give-and-take between the puncher and the counterpuncher. However, the puncher Sabalenka recorded a knockout. Pegula was unable to handle any of her skills—her serve, forehand, backhand, or even drop shot. In the end, Sabalenka won 28 points to the American’s meagre eight, winning 31 of 34 of those points on her opening serve.
When speaking about her early rounds in Cincinnati, Sabalenka noted, “The first matches were really challenging, I was trying to adjust.” “On the surface, I felt really good, and something just clicked.” genuinely loving each and every game and point. “My rhythm is back.”
Sinner then defeated Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (4), 6-2, a more challenging but maybe more remarkable victory. Similar to Sabalenka, Sinner was a puncher, winning 85% of his first-serve points and launching 29 winners against Tiafoe’s 13. Tiafoe made every effort to retaliate, turning the opening set into an exciting and edgy duel. But Sinner always had the goods when he needed a point.
At 4–4 break point in the opening set, he exerted a bit more effort on his forehand and forced Tiafoe to miss. In the tiebreaker, Sinner increased the pace on his forehand once more and won the point, trailing 3–4. Sinner produced a quick angle backhand at 4-4 and closed with a volley. Sinner handled pressure like he has most of the season: with complete composure and skillful, original shot-making.
Sinner admitted to Tennis Channel, “I was missing some shots [in the first set], but the shot selection was correct.” “I had very strong play in the tiebreaker.”
Both Sinner and Sabalenka, who took home championships in Cincinnati, discussed acclimating to the spotlight. Sinner stated, “You have to control what you can control in a better way.” “The serve and the opening shot of every point are crucial.”
Sabalenka remarked, “You got to stay low on this surface.” That moves pretty quickly. The ball flies incredibly high if you move the body slightly upward. Distant from the grandstand. Thus, you must maintain your low profile and swing fearlessly in order to make the shot. There’s nothing to it, is there?
Djokovic, Alcaraz, Swiatek, Zheng, Krejcikova, and Paolini have dominated the summer so far. Will Sinner and Sabalenka’s summer come to an end? From the middle of the pack to the front, they have moved quickly.
Despite all of their similarities as athletes this season, their personalities certainly make for an odd duo. In triumph, Sabalenka was beaming as always, while Sinner’s expression was even more expressionless than normal. He raised his arms in the air to celebrate, then he quickly brought them back down.
Following that, Prakash Amritraj of Tennis Channel questioned them about their plans for the evening. With a smirk on her face, Sabalenka declared that she would be having a Marg-Aryna, a type of margarita, whereas Sinner declared that he was not a drinker and would prefer a Coke.
But both are prepared for the next move. “I’m glad I won the competition before the US Open, and we’ll see,” Sinner, who might still be dealing with a hip issue, remarked. “I’m going to forget about this title—in a good way,” said Sabalenka.
