Jannik Sinner Admits ‘Pressure’ as $1 Million Challenge Awaits at US Open With Emma Navarro

Jannik Sinner always has his goals defined. In his first appearance since turning into the new king of grass, at Wimbledon, the Italian made a sensational return on Saturday, marking his arrival at the Cincinnati Open. The defending champion of this Masters 1000 event looked as if he had never left the court (despite a month-long break). While he’s making sure his form in singles is as fluid as possible ahead of the US Open, the challenge has ‘doubled’ this season.

The world No.1 will also be seen flaunting his racket in mixed doubles at Flushing Meadows to ultimately claim a $1 million lucrative reward. He will step onto the court with American WTA star Emma Navarro. But the question is: is he feeling overwhelmed going into this uncharted territory? Sinner kicked off his Cincinnati campaign in style as he bested his first-round rival Daniel Elahi Galán in just 59 minutes. For the record, that’s his fastest win of the season.

After wrapping up the match with a double breadstick, Sinner sat down with Tennis Channel’s Prakash Amritraj to talk about his performance. However, the host was more interested in what’s coming next after Cincinnati. Prakash was more curious to know how Sinner felt about his mixed doubles stint with Navarro. Was he feeling pressurized given that he still has his singles title to defend as well at the US Open? The conversation was quite lighthearted, but Sinner tried to stay composed, “Yeah. It is. I really don’t know what to say. Hopefully, it’s gonna be fun and I am quite sure about that.” He added, “The lineups are amazing, every lineup is just amazing to players. And I feel honored and happy to be also there in the lineup.”

Oozing confidence in his partner Navarro, and himself too, the four-time slam winner said, “We will try our best. I haven’t played too many doubles a long time. I never played mixed. So it’s gonna be interesting to see.” While he’s “looking forward to it”, Sinner also knows that he might be the one doing most of the heavy lifting playing with Navarro. Making a hilarious admission, he concluded, “We hope. Pressure is on me.”

Well, he’s not wrong in saying that. The pressure will be on him to meet his doubles partner’s expectations. Seems like even his Wimbledon win couldn’t make Navarro convinced of the Italian’s potential. Really? According to the WTA pro, he lacks a crucial quality needed to win in doubles.

Emma Navarro is worried over Jannik Sinner’s skills ahead of the US Open

In what can be described as the most hilarious jab taken at Jannik Sinner, Navarro was at her best while congratulating the Italian following his grass major victory. While she praised his on-court dominance, the American couldn’t help but express worrying remarks on Sinner’s one major downside.

“Hey Jannik, it’s Emma here. Just want to say huge congrats on the Wimbledon title. I watched a lot of your matches. I watched your final, and you look like you know you’re playing a lot of good tennis but you know, I’m just getting a little bit worried because I didn’t see you play that much net play.”

She further added, “You did hit a tweener between your legs at the net at one point, which you know was kind of cool or whatever, but you missed the overhead. I don’t even know if it really counts, but I’m gonna need you to just put in a good bit of work at the net” Apparently, she wanted him to work hard so he could match her level. “Let’s get to work, buddy.” 

Guess what? This humorous engagement between the two has extended to Cincinnati as well. Ahead of their respective campaigns, Navarro and Sinner were spotted together during a practice session. When Navarro arrived, she cheekily asked him, “Are we practicing right now? They told I am the hitting partner.” Hearing this, Sinner simply replied, “You are not my hitting partner. I am your hitting partner.”

What are your thoughts on their constant fun banter? Will they eventually prove to be a winning team at the mixed doubles event in New York? Let us know in the comments below.