Jannik Sinner’s 101 MPH Forehand at ATP Finals Polarizes Fans on Social Media Due to Doping Allegations

Karthik Raman | 12/11/2024
Jannik Sinner (ITA) plays in the men’s singles final of the 2024 U.S. Open tennis tournament

Jannik Sinner kickstarted his ATP Finals campaign with a resounding win over Alex de Minaur. Playing in his first competitive match in over a month, Sinner overcame early struggles to win convincingly 6-3, 6-4. While there were many positives to take away from the match, one particularly impressive forehand stood out.

Though the final score may have suggested that it was a comfortable victory, the Italian did not always have it easy. Sinner looked a bit rusty in the beginning, and his slow start was clearly evident to everyone. Losing his serve in the third game of the match acted as a wake-up call for the 23-year-old, who was unstoppable from that point forward as de Minaur struggled to keep pace with him.

What began as a promising encounter soon turned into a one-sided contest. But still, the game had several memorable moments. None more so than the sixth game, when de Minaur’s resilience was tested to the limits. Serving at 3-2, the Australian found it difficult to gain the upper hand against Sinner. The Italian soon unleashed two powerful forehands.

Running to his left, de Minaur somehow kept the first one in play, but he was helpless against the next forehand that was hit on the opposite side.

The 101 mph forehand winner not only left the crowd shellshocked but also the fans on social media. However, it wasn’t all praise for Sinner.

Though fans’ opinions were divided, de Minaur could only speak highly of the man he faced in his first ATP Tour finals match.

de Minaur praises Sinner’s ball speed and serve

Since Sinner had missed the Paris Masters due to illness, many wondered whether he would be fully ready for the opener in Turin. De Minaur tried to take advantage of this situation by making a quick start, but it did not work for long. Having seen Sinner’s game up close, the Australian showered praise on his opponent.

“I knew I had my work cut out. I thought I started well, then I kind of slipped away. I just couldn’t sustain the level that I needed today to beat Jannik. His ball speed, in my eyes, is so much higher than basically the rest of the people. From both sides he’s solid. He keeps on improving. He’s improved his serve so much throughout the years,” said De Minaur.

Regardless of the outside noise, Sinner continues to shine on the court. With the year-end No.1 spot sealed, he will be eager to secure his first ATP Finals trophy. The home favorite plays Taylor Fritz in what is set to be a tantalising rematch of the US Open 2024 final in Turin. The match is set to take place on Wednesday, not before 3.30 PM ET and will be LIVE on Tennis Channel.

Post Edited By: Dhruv Rupani
Alex de Minaur ATP Finals 2024 Jannik Sinner

About the author

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Karthik Raman

Karthik offers almost a decade of journalism expertise to his position as Editor at The SportsRush. He has extensive experience in print and digital media, having traveled to several locations and written on issues in a variety of fields. He is an editor who values brevity and directness, and he always takes into account the reader's perspective. When Karthik is not editing, he enjoys watching series and movies and is a die-hard Manchester United fan.

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