According to Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic’s intensely emotional response upon winning the Olympic gold medal in Paris makes perfect sense given everything the Serbian had to go through in order to realize one of his greatest ambitions.

Following his consecutive Grand Slam victories at the French Open and Wimbledon, it was widely known that Carlos Alcaraz was the favorite to defeat Djokovic in the Paris Olympic final.

Indeed, Djokovic played at a high level and put on a fantastic performance during the entire Olympic final, but Alcaraz did too. He just did it slightly better, winning 7-6 (3) 7-6 (2) in a two-set match that lasted almost three hours. If there had been a decider in the match, the championship game would have likely lasted four hours or longer, which would have been ridiculous.

“Everyone will agree that this contest is of the highest caliber. a match that required a lot of physical exertion. Something extraordinary must occur when the two greatest athletes in the world compete. Watching a match like this was enjoyable for everyone, in my opinion. During his news conference prior to the competition in Montreal, Sinner stated, “You really don’t see a match like that every day.”

At this point in his career, Djokovic has made it quite clear to everyone that his top ambition is to win his first Olympic gold medal. And the 37-year-old celebrated extremely passionately and emotionally on the court after receiving one and finishing his incredible resume to the hilt. The Serbian even broke down in tears of pleasure.

Naturally, I comprehend; nonetheless, I believe he has a deeper understanding than everyone else. The last thing he needed to do was get this medal, which is what he strove so hard to achieve. This, he knew in his head. A few times, he came very close, finishing in fourth or bronze. It was a touching sight to witness the significance of this year for him, as this was his year,” Sinner remarked.

Sinner discussing his health problem and current state of mind

World No. 1 Sinner declared he was pulling out of the Olympics a few days before competition began, citing tonsilitis as his reason.

Sinner, 22, was expected to make his Olympic debut and be one among the front-runners for the gold medal in the capital of France. Sinner had the opportunity to compete in the Tokyo Olympics three years prior, but he chose not to make his Olympic debut at that time.

Even though the Italian Olympic team suffered a great loss in losing Sinner, they were still successful in the tennis competitions, as Lorenzo Musetti took home the bronze in the singles and Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini took home the gold in the women’s doubles.

“The Games were one of my key season goals, so not being able to go to Paris shattered my heart. But when you take a bigger picture of things, Musetti ended up with a bronze, so I’m glad for him as an Italian,” Sinner remarked.

Sinner, who won the Toronto Masters the previous year, is prepared to compete again this week at the Montreal Masters, where he will be the defending champion. The 22-year-old Italian said in an interview with reporters that he had been taking antibiotics for a week but that he is now feeling much better.

“Having tonsillitis was difficult; I had to take antibiotics for nearly a week and missed days of playing racquetball.” I wasn’t in the best of health before I left for Canada, but every day I feel stronger and better. Sinner expressed his happiness at being in this place, where he had won his first Masters 1000. He arrived early, and he and his crew were getting ready to defend the title and keep up their constant performance, as they have done all year.

Sinner on why he doesn’t think his high ranking is particularly noteworthy

Sinner was ranked eighth in the world the year he emerged victorious from the Toronto competition. Even though he is currently the best player in the world, he maintains that his strategy and mindset haven’t changed.

Simply said, the number is different. Together with my team, I strive to make the process and everyday routine as efficient as possible while also trying to be prepared for any obstacles that may arise. It brings me great joy to return here. It began with the Wimbledon semifinals from the previous year, and I came here to win my first Masters event. Sinner stated, “I’ve been fairly constant over the past year, and that’s at least what we will strive to accomplish in the upcoming months as well.

Sinner gets a first-round bye in Montreal before going up against Pedro Martinez or a qualifier.