PARIS (AP) — Jannik Sinner has extended his impressive Grand Slam winning streak to 15 matches, wrapping up a 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 victory against France’s Arthur Rinderknech in the opening round of the French Open on Monday night.
As the world No. 1, Sinner is competing in his second tournament following a three-month doping ban that was announced shortly after his triumph at the Australian Open in January. His situation came to light just before last year’s U.S. Open, which he also clinched.
The 23-year-old Italian boasts three Grand Slam titles, all earned on hard courts, with his best performance at Roland-Garros being a semifinal finish last year, where he fell in a five-set battle against the eventual champion, Carlos Alcaraz.
Sinner’s win over the 75th-ranked Rinderknech in the iconic Court Philippe-Chatrier marks his 62nd consecutive victory against players ranked outside the top 20.
Displaying near perfection during the first two sets, Sinner recorded 19 winners and just eight unforced errors, though his performance wavered slightly in the third set, where he faced deficits of 4-0 and 5-2, punctuated by nine unforced errors.
However, Sinner quickly regained his composure, setting the stage for a forthcoming clash with fellow Frenchman Richard Gasquet, who has announced that this tournament will mark the end of his professional career.
“I know the crowd will rally behind him,” Sinner remarked with a grin, “and that’s perfectly fine.”
Rinderknech, whose best Grand Slam showing was reaching the third round at the 2023 U.S. Open, endeavored to connect with the passionate crowd, celebrating his standout moments with spirited displays like running around, waving his arms, and reaching into the front row for high-fives.
Known for energizing his fans and occasionally ruffling opponents’ feathers, Rinderknech stirred up the atmosphere during a previous loss to American Taylor Fritz at Roland-Garros two years ago, where the crowd intensely booed and whistled. In response, Fritz theatrically urged them on, saying, “Come on! I want to hear it!”
Leading up to their rematch at Wimbledon last year, Rinderknech referenced their Paris encounter, inciting Fritz’s ire. After another defeat at the All England Club, the two exchanged barbs at the net, concluding with Fritz cheekily wishing Rinderknech to “have a nice flight home.”
