18-Year-Old Shining: Sinner Shocks Monfils In Antwerp

This time last year, Jannik Sinner, then No. 778 in the ATP Rankings, was preparing to play a Futures tournament in Tunisia. What a difference a year can make.

The 18-year-old #NextGenATP star earned the biggest victory of his career Thursday, defeating top seed Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-2 to reach the last eight of the European Open for his first ATP Tour quarter-final.

Currently at a career-high World No. 119, Sinner has made good use of the wild card he received in Antwerp. The Italian saved the only break point he faced against Monfils, who at World No. 13 is the highest-ranked player Sinner has ever beaten.

Sinner, who has earned all five of his tour-level wins in 2019, had never previously defeated a Top 50 opponent, with his biggest victory before this coming against World No. 59 Steve Johnson at this year’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia. But he showed plenty of maturity against the veteran Frenchman, breaking Monfils’ serve four times in his 61-minute triumph.

Sinner misfired on a return on his first match point. But if he had any nerves, he did not show them, forcing an error off Monfils’ backhand slice to finish off his win. The Italian tried to contain his emotions, barely cracking a smile. After shaking hands with a congratulatory Monfils, though, Sinner let his joy show with a wide smile.

This was a crucial week for Monfils, who is trying to make a push for Nitto ATP Finals qualification. The Frenchman is in 13th place in the ATP Race To London with 2,170 points.

The teen will next face 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals qualifier Frances Tiafoe, who ousted seventh seed Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-4 in 78 minutes. The American is currently placed fifth in the ATP Race To Milan, as he tries to return to the 21-and-under season finale for the second straight year.

Sinner is also making a late push to try to make his debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals. He began the week in 13th place in the Race.