Jannik Sinner has been dominant in Paris and has yet to drop a set all tournament.
The Italian star traveled to the French capital with dreams of lifting the title, but surely even Sinner couldn’t have predicted he’d start as well as he has.
Arthur Rinderknech, Richard Gasquet, Jiri Lehecka, and Andrey Rublev all failed to take a set off the world number one as he waltzed through to the quarterfinals.
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There, he produced another dominant display when Sinner defeated Alexander Bublik, 6-1, 7-5, 6-0.
As he now prepares for his semi-final clash with Novak Djokovic, former world number one John McEnroe has expressed the one concern he has for the Italian in Paris.
John McEnroe questions whether a lack of matches could come back to ‘haunt’ Jannik Sinner in the semis
Speaking to TNT Sports after Sinner’s quarterfinal victory over Bublik, McEnroe discussed whether winning his matches so quickly may work against him later in the tournament.
“He looked good in Rome, but maybe in the second set against Carlos [Alcaraz] a little fatigue set in, maybe a little discouragement,” he said.
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“If you said to him, look, you’re going to be in the semis, not dropping a set, he would’ve taken that in a heartbeat.
“But obviously, whoever wins tonight [Djokovic] is going to make it a lot tougher, I would presume.
“That will be the test in the fourth or fifth set of a match, will that come back to haunt him that he hasn’t played?”
The American then revealed what Sinner’s coach Darren Cahill has been telling him over recent weeks.
“But to me, it seems like a blessing in disguise, he’s hungry, fresh, the legs are there,” said McEnroe.
“Everything that Darren Cahill’s told me the last couple of weeks is that they put in a lot of work to keep the body and mind right.
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“He looks like he’s right where he left off in Australia for the most part; he’s hitting the ball incredibly.”
John McEnroe gives scathing review of Jannik Sinner’s win over Alexander Bublik, ‘boredom set in’
As impressed as McEnroe was with Sinner’s performance, he was the first to admit the match wasn’t a classic.
Asked whether the fans returned to Court Philippe Chatrier after Lois Boisson’s stunning win earlier in the day, McEnroe provided a typically honest response.
“Actually, no, I don’t think they all came back. They seemed a little exhausted or exhilarated, or a combination of both,” he said.
“They just sat back and waited to see what [Alexander] Bublik had to offer, which as it turned out, wasn’t a whole lot.
“They saw [Jannik] Sinner, who is playing great, do his thing, got it done quickly.
“I think, dare I say, a little boredom set in. Especially early in the third, once Bublik went down that break, everyone knew it was over.
“The only time it got interesting was towards the end of the second set, it looked like Bublik maybe could steal that set.
“I mean, the last time Sinner lost his serve was against [Arthur] Rinderknech in the third set [of round one], it never really felt like there was anything Bublik could do, which would make it even close.”
Tim Henman then asked McEnroe whether he was more underwhelmed by Bublik’s performance or impressed with Sinners’.
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“It was a combination of both, actually, the wear and tear. This is his first Grand Slam quarter, so how is he feeling physically, emotionally?” said McEnroe.
“He said it was the best day of his life, you’ve got to come down to earth after that, and then you’re playing the number one seed, so to me it looked like he was happy to be there.
“In the first set, his nerves got the best of him, he played the way he was capable of in one set, for 30 or 40 minutes, then it looked like he was in a rush to get off the court. Maybe he’s got a flight in a couple of hours.
“Honestly, Sinner was never threatened at all.”
What should Alexander Bublik do next after making history at the French Open?
When Bublik beat Jack Draper in the fourth round of the French Open, he made history, becoming the first Kazakh man to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal.
He may have failed in his bid to reach the semis, but will no doubt be pleased with his efforts in Paris.
Reacting to what happened during the latter stages of Bublik’s French Open exit, McEnroe shared what he thinks the 27-year-old should do next.
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“It looked like he hurt himself at the end of the match, I don’t know if it was just wear and tear or fatigue or whatever,” he said.
“He could use a break.
“If he made a run at one of the grass court tune-ups, I’m not sure which one he’s in, gets some wins there, he could maybe get a seed at Wimbledon.”
Bublik is scheduled to return to action at the Halle Open, which begins on June 16.