John McEnroe has some advice for Jannik Sinner that he believes could help him win the Roland Garros title.
However, after watching the way in which he cruised through his first-round match, it seems unlikely that the Italian will struggle at all.
With Carlos Alcaraz having withdrawn due to injury, there really is no outstanding opposition to his crusade in Paris, leaving many to theorise what could possibly stop him.
The conclusion that many have drawn is the weather, particularly given how uncharacteristically hot it has been in the French capital this week.
John McEnroe has therefore told Jannik Sinner to make one request to the Roland Garros organisers to ensure he does not get embroiled in a gruelling clash underneath the brutal Parisian sun.
John McEnroe has crucial advice for Jannik Sinner at Roland Garros
Speaking live on TNT Sports’ broadcast after watching Sinner’s first-round win over Clement Tabur, the American pundit put himself in the world number one’s shoes.
He insisted: “If I was Sinner, I would keep playing at night. You deserve it. You are the big draw. Keep asking for night matches, even in the second week when it cools off.”
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McEnroe then touched on Sinner’s superb and ever-improving serve, adding: “He is serving 4mph harder this year and placing the ball a little bit better. My serve got worse as I got older. His is seemingly getting better. I do not get it!
“He had the platform serve, but now has the step-up serve. People have told me you get a bit more power on it! I have been trying to do that when I play to get a bit more pace on the serve!”
Tim Henman recently praised Sinner’s serve as a huge ‘weapon’, and it seems like that devastating strike is only getting better.
Should Jannik Sinner be given preferential treatment by the French Open?
It is an interesting topic to debate, about whether the top players should receive preferential treatment from the majors.
After all, there are two sides to the argument.
On one side, these events want the biggest stars sticking around for as long as possible, particularly when the men’s draw is already so starved of elite-level quality.
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However, on the other side, it feels unfair to prioritise a player who already clearly has such natural advantages over their opponents.
Novak Djokovic is one example of a player who has benefitted from years of perks at the Australian Open, earned by being the greatest champion in the tournament’s history.
Sinner’s struggles in the heat have been well-documented, and playing him in the daytime in these current conditions could be a death sentence for his title ambitions.
It will be interesting to see where the Roland Garros organisers schedule his next match against another Frenchman, Valentin Royer.
