Jannik Sinner acknowledged the role of fortune in a pivotal Wimbledon moment and used it as motivation heading into his title defence at the Cincinnati Open.

Grigor Dimitrov was leading two sets to love in their round of 16 match at Wimbledon before a pectoral muscle injury forced him to withdraw.

“I was lucky against Grigor, but I took it as a sign,” Sinner said.

“You never know what can happen and that’s how it is in tennis. So you have to try to understand why and how certain things happen.

“And after that match, I really raised my level of play, and I played some of the best tennis I could play. It was a very emotional moment for me, and I was able to celebrate with my team.”

Sinner, the world No.1, arrives in Cincinnati seeking to retain the title he won there previously. He will face Daniel Elahi Galan in the Round of 16 and used the run from Wimbledon as a reference point for his mindset.

On the conditions in Cincinnati he offered a striking observation about the balls: “From my point of view, the tennis balls are getting smaller,” he said ahead of his Round of 16 match against Daniel Elahi Galan. “The more you play, the smaller they get.

“That is very strange because usually they open up and get slower, but here they get actually faster.

“The ball bounces much higher. We haven’t had one very windy day yet, but it’s going to be very difficult if there’s going to be wind here.

“We saw it last year, remember the match against Andrey was super difficult, so it’s very difficult and it’s going to be a mental game. I am trying to accept every situation on the court and trying to be ready.”

Sinner confirmed he will wear an arm sleeve in Cincinnati as he did at Wimbledon but insisted it was not for pain. “The elbow does not hurt, but I like the sensation that gives the sleeve,” he said. “It gives a little more stability in the impact with the ball. I had also used it at Wimbledon and I liked it.”

Rick Macci offered a clear assessment of Emma Raducanu’s prospects after a run of improved results that has restored momentum to the 22-year-old’s season. Raducanu was ranked 60th in the world in March before reaching the quarter-finals at the Miami Open. Since the start of Miami, where she began working with Mark Petchey, Raducanu has amassed a 20-10 record.

The former US Open champion is currently ranked 39th and was as high as 33rd last month, her best position since the points from her 2021 US Open title dropped in September 2022. She opened the North American hard-court swing by reaching the semi-finals at the WTA 500 event in Washington, then reached the third round in Montreal and will look to continue that form at the Cincinnati Open.

Asked if Raducanu could return to the top 10, Macci was unequivocal. “Absolutely, absolutely. And I’ve been saying this for a long, long time,” he said. He stressed the core strengths of her game. “People… listen, everybody can have an opinion. Here’s what happens, you don’t lose the talent, you don’t lose the mechanics. She’s been pretty fundamentally sound on the forehand and backhand, there’s no real issue, there’s no real flaw.

Macci compared Raducanu’s consistency off both wings to that of other top players and reminded readers of her 2021 US Open run. “Like, maybe you might see a little speedbump on Coco [Gauff]’s forehand. Raducanu is rock solid off both sides and, listen, she not only qualified and won the US Open, she didn’t drop a set. That wasn’t like, smoke and mirrors. You don’t lose the talent.

He continued that confidence and fitness are factors Raducanu can reclaim. “It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. One thousand percent, she is a top ten talent. And let’s face it, there’s a fine line between winning and losing. There’s a fine line with that confidence.

“And as she gets more confident and she starts beating the top players, not only can she be in the top 10, she can definitely contend for a Grand Slam, because she has enough game, because she’s done it before. Okay, she’s done it before. So, 100%.

Macci’s resume includes work with a list of players who went on to become major champions and world number ones, a background he cited in support of his assessment.

Naomi Osaka’s post-match remarks after the Canadian Open final drew criticism from a former coach who said the exchange deserved a different on-court resolution.

Osaka, beaten 6-2, 4-6, 1-6 in the final, spoke briefly in her on-court address. “Thanks, Montreal, it’s been a really great run,” wrote the 27-year-old.

“I also want to say sorry and congratulations to Victoria. You played a great match and have an amazing career ahead! I realise I didn’t congratulate you on the court.

“Honestly, I was in a daze and I was so focused on not having the same speech as IW 2018 finals or the Jenny/Jennifer situation that I tried to make my speech as short as possible. Thanks everyone for the week, see you in NY.”

Observers noted Osaka said just 45 words, none of which were ‘Victoria Mboko’, and the omission became the focus of discussion after the match.

Brad Gilbert, speaking on his Served podcast, argued the moment needed a different response on the court and suggested the last games should have been treated differently. “Especially one that looked up to you, not to mention you just let the last few games go in a final.”

He characterized Osaka’s post-match brevity and her wider responses to pressure. “She didn’t really want to expand a lot in the post-match speeches,” he said.

Gilbert acknowledged the awkwardness of required interviews after losses and the reality of athletes’ limited responses in that moment. “I see people are saying ‘she should’ve said…’, I don’t know, we’re the only sport that is forced to talk after we lose.

“Obviously, we’re not our best selves in that situation, and if people are, great, if they’re not, they’re not.

“I would rather her be friendly with Vicky Mboko all the time than at Grandstand in front of a microphone.

“I don’t know if either is true, but Naomi [Osaka] is generally well-liked, polite, everyone likes her, and she doesn’t give a lot sometimes when she’s not ready to give a lot, and that’s fine.

“If Michael Jordan did that, they’d be like ‘He’s such a competitor, he can’t get over it’.

“I used to actually use that example with Serena [Williams] all the time; she would go to press sometimes and be really salty.

“I’m like, if that’s Jordan, everyone is celebrating his saltiness, but when it’s Serena, everyone’s writing articles about how salty she is, I don’t know.. It’s fine.”