Shocking scenes at Roland Garros marked Thursday in Paris. The tournament’s top favorite, Jannik Sinner, was eliminated as early as the second round after an unreal comeback by the 56th player in the world, Juan Manuel Cerundolo. The Italian had everything in his hands – he led 2:0 in sets and had an incredible 5:1 in the third set, and then completely ran out of strength. In the Parisian heat, the 24-year-old Sinner “ran out of gas” and lost the match with a score of 6:3, 6:2, 5:7, 1:6, 1:6.
It was precisely this collapse of the young Italian that served as an occasion for the legendary John McEnroe to once again emphasize the incredible longevity and professionalism of the best tennis player of all time, Novak Djokovic.
McEnroe, analyzing the situation for “TNT Sports”, was left stunned by the fact that Novak, in his late playing years (39), maintains a level of intensity that is unattainable for rivals almost twice as young.
–I think Djokovic’s level is incredibly high. Explain to me how this man manages that, while barely playing any tournaments between Grand Slams at all? He steps onto the court as if he hasn’t missed a single shot – the seven-time GS champion stated.
The American is fascinated by the way the Serbian ace chooses his battles and saves energy for what matters most.
–I know he doesn’t care too much about the other tournaments anymore, but somehow you feel like you would have to play at least some of them. He doesn’t need that. He defies time – McEnroe is clear.
After the elimination of Sinner, the path to the finals is additionally open, and McEnroe has no dilemma about who will celebrate in Novak’s next match against the 19-year-old sensation from Brazil, Joao Fonseca.
–I am tipping Djokovic’s victory. For Fonseca, this is one of the biggest moments in his career, this will completely open him up. He has huge expectations and this is a great result for him, but Novak is Novak – the famous McEnroe concluded.
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Source: Telegraf; Photo: Printscreen Twitter @JohnMcEnroe