Jannik Sinner’s first match since his historic Wimbledon victory could hardly have gone any better. In Cincinnati, the Italian defeated Colombia’s Daniel Elahi Galán 6-1, 6-1, earning his first hard-court win since January’s Australian Open.
“I feel like matches are always so different than practice sessions. I didn’t know what to expect today,” Sinner said after the match. “But I’m very happy. It’s not easy to play here. The ball is flying. The ball is fast. You have to serve very precise but also with good pace here if you want to go far in the tournament.”
From the first game, Jannik Sinner looked in control and even talked about his serve. “Today I felt like I was serving the spots I wanted at times,” he explained. “But there is still a bit of room to improve. For a first round match, I couldn’t have wished better. I’m very happy to be back. The crowd is amazing. Yeah, let’s see what’s coming.”
The victory extended Sinner’s winning streak on hard courts to an extraordinary 22 matches, a run dating back to last year. It was also his sixth consecutive win in Cincinnati and his eighth straight overall.
Moreover, to put his streak into perspective, the last time Sinner lost a hard-court match was 311 days ago.
The Wimbledon champion’s return to hard courts comes with heightened expectations. After lifting his debut Wimbledon, he now faces the challenge of maintaining that momentum during the North American summer swing.
The Colombian simply couldn’t find a way to disrupt Sinner’s rhythm. The Italian broke serve repeatedly and closed out the match in just over an hour.
The Cincinnati crowd, which Sinner called “amazing,” will be eager to see more of the 23-year-old as he pushes deeper into the draw. With the U.S. Open now just weeks away, fans seem to be all ready for fierce competition.
For now, Jannik Sinner remains focused on the present. If his opening performance is any indication, the road ahead could be just as golden as the grass at Wimbledon.