Sinner’s toughest task is yet to come. When will the world number one be on the courts?

Italian Jannik Sinner completed the challenging mission and became the first Italian to become the world number one. But the most challenging part for him is yet to come, according to tennis expert Mourataglou. Why? And when will the new ranking leader be back in action?

Sinner and a new position

Earlier this week, Jannik Sinner became the 29th number one in ATP history. You can see how many of his predecessors you can recall.

Anyway, there was no Italian among them, so the 22-year-old tennis player has permanently written his country’s sporting history with his feat. He received well-deserved honours in Turin, for example.

But the biggest challenge is yet to come for the fresh world number one. According to expert Patrick Mouratoglou, it is one thing to conquer the top position, another to defend it.

Of course, Carlos Alcaraz is lurking in second place with a small loss. Although the Spaniard has to defend points for last year’s triumph at Queens’s Club and Wimbledon, he is Sinner’s biggest rival.

Mouratoglou warns mainly about the psychological aspect of being world number one. In this role, you definitely don’t want to lose to a tennis player around the tenth or fifteenth spot in the rankings.

“When he comes up against these players, he will feel extra pressure because he shouldn’t lose against them,” the Frenchmandescribes the pitfalls of Sinner’s new position. His start is imminent and the Italian will certainly have no shortage of potential opponents at the level described.

Sinner’s next start

The planned start of the South Tyrol native is not far away at all. He will be the star of the Halle event, which starts next week. This event is one of the best that are held on grass before Wimbledon.

And the turnout of players will match it. Last year’s champion, Bublik, will be in Germany, as will the year before, Hurkacz. Russians Medvedev and Rublev are also expected.

The list of quality players who match Mourataglou’s standards is expanded by Greece’s Tsitsipas and, last but not least, the recent French Open finalist Alexander Zverev.

The French expert’s theory is likely to be put to the test next week. As will Jannik Sinner’s form on the grass courts.

Sources: ATP, X, Tennis Majors