Greg Rusedski Defends Jannik Sinner Against ‘Boring’ Label as World No. 1 Closes in on Roland Garros History

Greg Rusedski has distanced himself from a narrative gaining traction among tennis fans and pundits — that Jannik Sinner’s near-unrelenting dominance of the ATP Tour has become predictable and unexciting to watch.

Speaking on Off Court with Greg, Rusedski was asked directly whether Sinner’s current run of form qualifies as ‘boring’. The former British No. 1 was unequivocal in his response: “Well, a lot of people are saying it. I disagree. I just think we’re seeing a genius at work. I mean, they had this article, I think, with Darren Cahill. People get the wrong perception about him being boring and robotic. I disagree with that. I think there’s a lot of personality there. We, you know, he’s starting to do YouTube channels and sorts of things to get behind the life so people can see the person around there.”

Sinner has cut through the draw at his current Masters event without visible difficulty, defeating Sebastian Ofner, Alexei Popyrin, and Andreas Pellegrino en route to a quarter-final meeting with Andrey Rublev. With several other top seeds having already exited the tournament, the World No. 1 is on course to claim what would be his fifth consecutive Masters title.

For Rusedski, the scale of Sinner’s consistency is itself the compelling storyline. “For me as a professional athlete or an ex-professional athlete, I should say, I am just amazed with his supremacy right now and what he’s accomplishing on the court. So, let’s enjoy this period. Yes, it looks like a procession, but processions are hard to do,” he said.

Rusedski also addressed the weight of expectation that accompanies Sinner whenever he steps onto the court. “There’s pressure. There’s expectation cuz when he walks on the court, he’s expected to win every time. We talked about that before. And to be able to play at that level consistently is so impressive. And I quite like watching how well he’s playing. Someone’s gonna figure out the conundrum. The question will be who will be apart from Carlos Alcaraz when he gets healthy again?”

That question carries particular significance heading into Roland Garros, where Sinner will compete without his closest rival. Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated Sinner in last year’s Paris final in a match that produced three match points for the Italian before ultimately swinging in the Spaniard’s favour, is set to miss this year’s tournament through injury.

The absence of Alcaraz positions Sinner as the overwhelming favourite to claim the French Open title for the first time in his career. Should he do so, it would complete a Career Grand Slam — meaning Sinner would have won every major tournament in professional tennis.

Sinner reached the Roland Garros final in 2024, making the prospect of going one step further this year a tangible and historically significant milestone. His 2025 season has already been marked by sustained excellence across surfaces, and a first French Open crown would cement his status as the defining player of the current era — at least until Alcaraz returns to full fitness.