“People Are Going to Rip Me”: 23YO American Pro Tipped to End Jannik Sinner’s Reign at French Open

With Carlos Alcaraz sidelined by a cruel wrist injury, the road to the French Open crown suddenly appears tailor-made for JannikSinner. The Italian sensation arrives in Paris riding a historic wave after conquering the Italian Open and joining Novak Djokovic as only the second man to capture every Masters 1000 title. Yet amid Sinner’s unstoppable rise, former pro Sam Querrey believes three players, and one disastrously prepared meal, could still shake the script at Paris.

Duringa recent episode of the “Nothing Major” podcast, former tennis stars Sam Querrey, John Isner, and Steve Johnson discussed the men’s draw at the French Open. As the conversation unfolded, the trio could hardly hide their amusement at how difficult it currently feels to pick against Jannik Sinner.

When Querrey asked his co-hosts to predict the men’s champion, the answer came instantly. All three former professionals selected Sinner without hesitation.

Still, the conversation became more interesting once they shifted toward a tougher question. If Sinner were to lose, who would actually be capable of defeating him? That debate produced several different answers and even a few humorous takes. Querrey approached the topic from a tactical and analytical perspective. He selected Daniil Medvedev as the one player who could genuinely trouble Sinner during the tournament.

“Medvedev battled him in Indian Wells, and he battled him in Rome. I think he’s the only guy that can retreat behind the baseline, play awkward, and try to extend the match to five hours,” Querrey said. His comments reflected the belief that Medvedev thrives in long and mentally draining contests.

Before Sinner developed into the dominant player he is today, Medvedev had actually controlled their rivalry. The Russian won their first six consecutive meetings and consistently frustrated the Italian during the early stages of his career. Although Sinner has improved dramatically since then, Querrey still believes Medvedev presents unique challenges.

Meanwhile, John Isner believed outside conditions might be the only realistic way for Sinner to become vulnerable. “People are going to rip me for this, but it’s weather-dependent. If we’re going to pick someone that’s going to beat Sinner, the scenarios have to be perfect. I would say Ben Shelton on a hot, dry day. We have to choose someone here, but it’s not likely to happen,” said Isner.

For Ben Shelton, overcoming Jannik Sinner would be an enormous challenge given how heavily their rivalry has tilted in the Italian’s favor. Across their 10 meetings, Shelton has managed just one victory, which came during their first clash in the 2023 Shanghai Masters. Since then, Sinner has completely dominated the matchup, turning the rivalry into one-way traffic.

While Querrey and Isner offered serious tactical explanations, Steve Johnson took a far more humorous route. Johnson joked that the real danger to Sinner might not come from another player at all.

“Some bad, undercooked chicken is the only thing that’s going to get this done. That’s why he’s -375 (odds of winning); it would take a badly cooked meal in the Chatrier dining hall.” The joke immediately referenced the chaotic scenes that unfolded earlier at the Madrid Open.

During the Spanish Masters, a major stomach-virus outbreak swept through the locker rooms and affected multiple players. Stars including Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Marin Cilic reportedly battled nausea during matches or even withdrew early because of illness.

Johnson also admitted that, from an entertainment perspective, he would love to see Arthur Fils push Sinner to the limit in front of the home crowd. According to Johnson, the crowd energy “would be insane” if the young Frenchman challenged the tournament favorite deep into a match.

Although Querrey ultimately selected Medvedev as the player most capable of testing Sinner in Paris, the Russian himself is fully aware of the enormous challenge ahead.

Daniil Medvedev expects enormous difficulty if he faces Jannik Sinner

Daniil Medvedev delivered one of his finest performances during the semi-finals of the Italian Open last week. The Russian struck the ball brilliantly from both wings, constantly pushing Jannik Sinner behind the baseline while maintaining remarkable consistency throughout the physical contest. Despite producing such a high-quality display, Medvedev still managed to take only one set from the world No. 1.

Many observers felt it was the strongest level shown against Sinner since the Australian Open earlier this year. The Italian’s dominance has become so overwhelming that even elite performances now struggle to seriously threaten him. Medvedev’s effort only reinforced how difficult the challenge has become.

Speaking about facing Sinner, Medvedev admitted that overcoming the Italian currently requires almost flawless tennis. “It’s super tough,” said Medvedev.

“Actually, any match that we saw, even this year, because I think he lost only two, the only way to beat him, you need to be at your best for all four, five sets.” Medvedev also stressed how mentally and physically demanding such a battle becomes.

“You need to run, be strong, to serve well, to return well. Everything needs to be on the top level, because him, his game is everything at the top level.” Still, before even thinking about a possible showdown with Sinner in Paris, Medvedev admitted he remains focused on surviving the early rounds himself.

“I’m playing my 1st round, which I probably lost 6 times at Roland Garros, so I just want to do my best and try to go further through the draw,” Daniil said. “And Jannik here or not there doesn’t change much my approach to the tournament.” Even with Sinner dominating men’s tennis at the moment, Medvedev made it clear that his own focus remains unchanged.

Now that the tournament has officially begun, the big question remains whether anyone can truly push the Italian star to his limits over five sets.

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