Jannik Sinner’s season has been one of praise, progress, and learning. After serving a three-month ban, the Italian stormed back to capture two Grand Slams and a 500 title in China. Now, as the ATP Finals in Turin draw near, he’s turning his focus to the next stop, which is a familiar one! The Vienna Open, which he won in 2023, marked his first win over Daniil Medvedev. That victory kicked off his incredible 2024 run, where he won eight titles and ended the year as World No.1. Now back in Vienna, the question is simple: can the Italian outlast his rivals again?

On Saturday, the Vienna Open draw dropped. And Sinner’s path looks steeper than ever. The world No.2 begins his campaign with a rematch against Daniel Altmaier, the same player he beat in Shanghai after losing to him at Roland Garros 2023. Sinner leads their head-to-head 2-1. If he advances, the second round could bring Flavio Cobolli or Tomas Machac. He hasn’t faced either in 2025 but leads Machac 1-0 and has never met Cobolli before.

If he gets through, a potential quarterfinal awaits against Alexander Bublik. Their rivalry has heated up this year, with Sinner leading 2-1 in 2025. Bublik beat him in Halle, but Sinner answered back at Roland Garros and the US Open. That New York win? A statement. The Italian flattened the Kazakh with a triple breadstick (6-1, 6-1, 6-1), leaving Sascha calling him an “AI bot.”

A semifinal could bring Alex de Minaur or Andrey Rublev. Sinner leads both head-to-heads, 2-1 and 5-3 respectively, though they haven’t met this season. The final might feature World No.3 Alexander Zverev, Karen Khachanov, Lorenzo Musetti, or Daniil Medvedev. Sinner leads Zverev 3-2 and Musetti 2-0, while matches against Khachanov and Medvedev sit closer to even.

Predicting how Sinner might perform at the 500 event is tricky, but consistency has defined his year. Apart from an early exit in Halle, he reached seven finals out of nine tournaments entered. The only other blemishes were an illness that forced him to withdraw in Cincinnati against Carlos Alcaraz and his Shanghai retirement against Tallon Griekspoor after leg cramps struck during the round of 32. Now, the good news? He looks refreshed. Sinner is already back in rhythm, competing at the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Riyadh.

Jannik Sinner drops a health update following Shanghai exit

A fan page, @sinnertimes, shared his comments on X two weeks after the incident: “The cramps in Shanghai? I think they were due to a mental factor. I talked with my team — from that point of view I wasn’t perfect, but now everything’s fine. The mistake was mine: the heat and humidity got me down. You learn from these things — cramps can happen, and I was one of many to suffer from them.”

It’s a reasonable explanation, as Jannik Sinner wasn’t the only one to struggle. Terence Atmane and Hamad Medjedovic retired mid-match, while Francisco Comesaña nearly collapsed on court. Even Novak Djokovic suffered through it, vomiting in two straight games.

Before kicking off his Six Kings Slam campaign, Sinner gave fans a much-needed update on his fitness. A post by @giovannipelazzo on X shared the Italian’s first words since his Shanghai cramps. Sinner said, “I’ve taken two days off [after the cramps in Shanghai] and then we got back to work: I feel good physically and mentally, we’re ready here and for the upcoming tournaments, Vienna, Paris, Turin: hopefully we can finish the year on a high note.” That’s a positive note, right?

His spot in Vienna, however, gives away something interesting. Playing there could mean skipping the Paris Masters, which runs from October 25 to November 2. Vienna begins earlier, from October 18 to 26, which overlaps just enough to raise eyebrows. If Paris is off the table, that would make it a full season without a Masters 1000 trophy since Miami 2024. Still, Sinner seems focused on what’s next rather than what’s missing.

Skipping Paris might also make things tougher in the rankings battle. Carlos Alcaraz leads him by 1,340 points, and without Paris, closing that gap becomes harder. But for Jannik Sinner, it looks like it’s not just about numbers right now. It’s about rhythm, confidence, and managing his body before Turin. Winning in Vienna could still carry plenty of meaning, especially on a surface and stage he knows well.

Last season, Sinner pulled out of Paris at the last minute after catching a virus, only to bounce back and lead Italy to Davis Cup glory. Then came his shining moment at the 2024 ATP Finals. This time, the story feels different. Currently, Vienna is the big focus, the next checkpoint in a season that’s already tested him. Can he rise again and claim another title before the big year-end stage? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!