FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Australian Open - Practice - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 10, 2025 Italy's Jannik Sinner with coach Darren Cahill during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo
(Reuters) -Darren Cahill has played down concerns about Jannik Sinner's health after he was forced to retire from the Cincinnati Open final, saying the world number one is recovering and they are confident he will be ready ahead of his U.S. Open defence.
The 24-year-old Italian withdrew from the U.S. Open mixed doubles event, where he was to partner Katerina Siniakova, a day after illness forced him to retire five games into his Cincinnati final against world number two Carlos Alcaraz.
Cahill said the Australian Open and Wimbledon champion was suffering from a virus.
"I spoke briefly with him last night. He was feeling a little better," Cahill told ESPN on Wednesday.
"He'll rest, that's the plan, and I hope he can get on the court on Thursday and start hitting some balls. We're confident he'll be fine."
The U.S. Open runs from August 24 to September 7.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
