During the clay-court season, Sinner lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the finals of both the Rome Masters and Roland Garros. The world number one's disappointment continued at the Halle Open, a warm-up tournament for Wimbledon. There, the Italian player was eliminated in the second round by Alexander Bublik, whom he had just defeated at Roland Garros. This less-than-ideal preparation made his Wimbledon victory over Alcaraz all the more surprising.

"Honestly, I'm surprised by the result at Wimbledon," Sinner told the media in Cincinnati, USA on 6/8. "What I went through in the previous tournaments, especially in Paris, affected my confidence. So, I was surprised by my own performance at the grass-court Grand Slam."

Sinner practices for the Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA on 6/8. Photo: Reuters

Sinner practices for the Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA on 6/8. Photo: Reuters

Sinner's quick return to top form at Wimbledon was even more astonishing given his injury during the fourth-round match against Grigor Dimitrov. Though not at his best physically, Dimitrov's retirement while ahead gave Sinner the opportunity to continue his journey at the All England Club. He advanced to the final and convincingly defeated Alcaraz while wearing a protective sleeve on his right arm.

"My elbow is fine," Sinner said. "At Wimbledon, it was the first time I used the arm sleeve, and I immediately noticed the difference. I felt a bit more impact from the ball and also felt my arm was more stable. I quite like it. That's my perspective."

Despite admitting he enjoyed playing with the new accessory, Sinner is unsure whether he will use the arm sleeve at the Cincinnati Open. The 23-year-old explained that the heat and humidity in the USA are much greater than in England. Sinner stated he needs to further assess the playing conditions before each match to make the appropriate choice.

As the top seed at the Cincinnati Open, which begins today, 7/8, Sinner received a first-round bye. In the second round, he will face the winner of the match between Vit Kopriva and Daniel Elahi Galan. Last year, Sinner won the Masters 1000 tournament leading up to the US Open, defeating Frances Tiafoe in the final.

Vy Anh