Does Sinner’s injury open US Open door?

**Catherine Whitaker** (0:11)
Well, hello and welcome to The Tennis Podcast. It is Monday, the 10th of August. The US Open Hardcourt Swing is very much swinging. In two weeks time, David, I will be in New York City. Two weeks from now.

**David Law** (0:28)
That's exciting.

**Catherine Whitaker** (0:29)
Yeah. You two won't quite be yet. Matt will be en route to Fulham for the first game of the season.

**Matt Roberts** (0:39)
Yes, we are having to move our post Cincinnati live show to accommodate my Fulham plans. More on that nearer the time. But yeah, we'll be going to Fulham, Chelsea and then to New York the very next day.

**Catherine Whitaker** (0:54)
Yeah, I thought there was an extra week.
I don't know what happened, but when I realized that in two weeks' time, well, less than two weeks' time now, I'm going to be in New York. Well, I had a freeze on of excitement, a little bit of panic and a sort of where did that extra week go feeling. But yeah, just book tickets, Matt, to see a Bruce Springsteen Tribute Act on the beach in New Jersey on the Nite Island.

**Matt Roberts** (1:25)
Wow.
Wow, you can't spring that on me. Wow, okay, that's a lot to process.

**David Law** (1:30)
Matt's reorganizing his trip immediately.

**Catherine Whitaker** (1:33)
Dare I say, the US is number one.
Well, they claim, I'm not sure what the metrics being used here are. So the US is number one Springsteen and East Street Band Tribute Act, and they're playing on Seastreet Beach. And I decided that was unmissable. I will be there. Yeah. If you were, that I'm putting on the spot here, if you were naming a Springsteen Tribute Act, what would you call them?

**Matt Roberts** (2:03)
I don't know. What are they called?

**Catherine Whitaker** (2:05)
They're called Tramps Like Us.

**Matt Roberts** (2:09)
I wouldn't call it that.

**Catherine Whitaker** (2:12)
I think it's a rule that if you're a Tribute Act, you have to have a NAF name. I think you've got to lean in to the NAF of it all, haven't you?

**Matt Roberts** (2:21)
Yes, because otherwise you're just nowhere near as good and you're trying to be Bruce Springsteen in New Jersey and it's all a bit sad.

**David Law** (2:31)
Great.

**Catherine Whitaker** (2:31)
Well, pumped for that occasion.

**David Law** (2:35)
Catherine's pumped.

**Catherine Whitaker** (2:37)
I am pumped.
Look, it's a band on a beach. I will be happy.

**Matt Roberts** (2:42)
Yeah, good vibes.

**Catherine Whitaker** (2:43)
Yeah. I thought I'd get some good vibes in early because we are starting the show today with what is now becoming a regular feature, injury and withdrawal corner.
Because we had the news a few days ago, having given reassurances in our last show that, yes, there were reports that Jannik Sinner's knee was giving him a bit of JIP, but there were also later reports that it was fine and he would be traveling to Cincinnati. Well, we now have the most recent reports that Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from Cincinnati. The quote is, my right knee has been bothering me, and even though we have been working hard with my medical team, I have to accept that I'm not ready to compete yet. I'm now focusing on getting ready for the US Open. This is not good, David.

**David Law** (3:34)
No, it's not. It's not good for him.
It's not good for the tournament. I mean, I have to say, I simultaneously then get excited about the alternative possibilities, but I don't want not be able to see Jannik Sinner and I feel bad for him. This, to me, I don't know about you, but this has really come out of the blue to me because I didn't notice anything going on with him at Wimbledon at all. That's the last time we saw him on a tennis court, he's rolling around with victory after winning his second Wimbledon in a row.

**Catherine Whitaker** (4:06)
I mean, only that fall, there was the really dramatic fall in the first round with the bloody foot. I mean, obviously, he won six matches and a Wimbledon trophy after that.

**David Law** (4:17)
Yeah, things kind of worked out.

**Catherine Whitaker** (4:22)
Yeah, that's all I can think of, really.

**David Law** (4:24)
I mean, they're doing the best to play it down, at least not to make you feel as though his US Open is at risk, really, and that it's a serious injury. But, well, he's never been into this tournament before with nothing. It's not that, is it? I expected him to pull out a Canada even if he hadn't got that knee for a bit of extra rest. But, or at least I thought it was at least 50-50, given that this weird record was potentially on the line.