Why Sinner is the man to beat in Montreal

Jannik Sinner ticked off a major milestone in his ever-developing career twelve months ago at the Omnium Banque National présenté par Rogers, where he won his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title.

Sinner has since gone on to clinch his first major at the Australian Open and rise to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Ahead of his return to Montreal, ATPTour.com looks at five things that make the 22-year-old the man to beat at the hard-court event.

1: Hard court success
Sinner has proven the player to beat on hard courts since his run to the title in Toronto last year. In the past 12 months, the Italian has posted a 47-5 record on the surface according to Infosys ATP Stats, with no player on Tour earning more hard-court wins in that time.

The Italian captured titles in Beijing and Vienna at the end of the 2023 season and then triumphed at the Australian Open and in Rotterdam and Miami earlier this year. Sinner’s last hard-court match came in Miami in March, where he dropped just one set en route to the title.

2: Defending champion
Sinner arrives in Canada as the defending champion and hopes a return to Canada will help him find his top level. The top seed faced a host of Top 20 stars at the ATP Masters 1000 event last season when he beat Matteo Berrettini, Gael Monfils, Tommy Paul and Alex de Minaur for the loss of just one set.

Sinner had lost his previous two Masters 1000 title matches in Miami in 2021 and 2023 but dispatched De Minaur in the final to become just the second Italian Masters 1000 champion since the series began in 1990 (Fabio Fognini Monte-Carlo 2019).

"It means a lot. It is a great result," Sinner said in the trophy ceremony. "One I can share with all the people who are close to me every day. It is a nice moment to share with them and we are doing the right things. This result makes us feel good, stronger and hungry to work even harder in the future."

3: Rested and recovered after Wimbledon
Sinner was forced to withdraw from the Paris Olympics due to tonsilitis but revealed on social media on Tuesday that he is now ready to compete in Montreal.

“Good to start hitting again and looking forward to building from here,” Sinner wrote on Tuesday.

Good to start hitting again and looking forward to building from here 👊🏼 pic.twitter.com/Awmgn6HiqD

— Jannik Sinner (@janniksin) July 31, 2024

The extra time off has allowed Sinner to travel to Canada earlier than anticipated and begin preparations to bolster his chances of a successful title defence. Sinner, who last competed in the quarter-finals in Wimbledon in early July, arrived in Montreal early to acclimatise to the conditions at the Omnium Banque National présenté par Rogers.

4. Sinner’s rock-solid support
A close-knit team travels with Sinner on the ATP Tour and the Italian has often spoken of the strength he draws from a group that includes coaches Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill. The settled nature of his support network has helped power his rise in the past year, both on and off the court.

“When I ask someone to join my team it's not only if they are the best in their work but also how I feel with them,” Sinner told ATPTour.com last year. “For me that is very important because we spend not only the time when we work together, but also at dinner and in the morning. I see more of them than my family, so you have to feel very comfortable.”

5: World No. 1 & motivated to stay on Top
Sinner made history in June when he became the first Italian man to climb to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. The 22-year-old has remained at the top since and arrives in Montreal holding an 1110-point lead against second-placed Novak Djokovic, who is not competing in Montreal.

With 1000 points to defend, Sinner will be aiming to go deep in Canada to maintain his healthy gap. A title run would also extend the Italian’s lead at the top of the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. Sinner currently holds a slender 250-point advantage over Carlos Alcaraz.