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Jannik Sinner has had one of the most remarkable seasons in tennis history in 2024. The Italian captured two Grand Slam titles, and three Masters 1000 titles, and secured his position as the Year-End World No. 1.
However, one notable exception is who doesn’t enjoy watching Sinner’s matches. Surprisingly, this critic is a fellow Italian—former World No. 4 Adriano Panatta—who has called Sinner’s dominance in 2024 “boring.”
Sinner played a normal and routine match and that was enough for him. It’s boring. At the moment, Jannik can only lose against [Carlos] Alcaraz or maybe [Novak] Djokovic. He can stumble against [Alexander] Zverev, but that won’t happen to him against [Daniil] Medvedev. They seem to have absolutely no idea how to beat him. They’re already starting to lose. I almost want to change the channel because the outcome is so predictable. I hope there will be a final between Alcaraz and Sinner. That would be the only really hard-fought match of this tournament.
Adriano Panatta said on La Domenica Sportiva (H/T: Tennis365)
Whether or not Sinner’s style is exciting, his results have been consistently impressive in 2024. The 23-year-old has won titles on various surfaces this season and seems poised to add even more achievements next year.
Does he feel pressure? Never. He doesn’t even feel his blood pressure. It must be high 100 and low 70. But in terms of attitude on the pitch, I have never seen anyone like him. And he makes no mistakes, neither on nor off the pitch.
Adriano Panatta added
The one matchup that has not gone his way is against Carlos Alcaraz. The Italian has lost to the Spaniard in all three of their ATP Tour meetings this year.
Jannik Sinner awarded the Year-End World No.1 trophy
Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner was honored with the trophy for ending 2024 as the No. 1 player in the ATP rankings. The award was presented to him in front of his home crowd at the ATP Finals. Sinner’s year included major victories, with titles at both the Australian Open and the U.S. Open, marking his first two Grand Slam wins. He officially secured the year-end No. 1 spot about a month ago.
It’s a nice feeling, [it is] special sharing these kinds of moments here in Italy with the crowd. This would not be possible without all the people I have around and especially these kind of people I want to keep forever, because it has a journey from the beginning.
Jannik Sinner in the award ceremony
Sinner is the 19th player to earn this year-end No. 1 honor and the 29th man overall to hold the top spot in the ATP rankings. In the season finale, he started strong, defeating Alex de Minaur on Sunday (November 10) in a match between the top eight players.
This ATP Finals marks Sinner’s first time playing at home since news emerged before his U.S. Open title that he had tested positive in a drug test earlier this year. His return to Italy adds a special significance to his year-end achievement.
During the ceremony, Sinner became emotional as he received the ATP Year-End No. 1 trophy from Andrea Gaudenzi, the ATP Chairman, along with former World No. 1 Boris Becker and Mohamed Alsayyad from PIF. It was a memorable moment for the Italian star in front of his fans.
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Chicago Bears looking at bringing back familiar face at running back
The Chicago Bears don’t appear satisfied with their running back room with one week left to decide the 53-man roster. The Bears have until Aug. 26 to make their final cuts before preparing for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1. The Bears entered training camp with questions at running back. Veteran D’Andre Swift had a down year in 2024. Roschon Johnson isn’t a long-term solution, and seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai will have a steep learning curve when the regular season begins. The Chicago Bears worked out a former running back Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC, the Bears worked out running backs Royce Freeman, undrafted rookie Kylin James and former Carolina Panthers practice-squad player Dillon Johnson. Royce Freeman played with the Bears in 2024 Of the three, Freeman is the only running back with stats at the NFL level. Freeman, a third-round pick by the Denver Broncos in 2018, has appeared in 79 games and started nine games. He’s rushed 471 times for 1,472 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Bears signed Freeman to the practice squad in December. He was then signed to the Los Angeles Rams practice squad in January. He last played a regular-season game in 2023, when he added 319 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games for the Rams. The Bears are signaling their need for a running back this summer. There are other options available in the trade market, as the Washington Commanders are shopping Brian Robinson Jr. during the preseason. More running backs will be available after other teams trim their rosters to 53 players, but they might not be the type of athletes to make a significant boost for the offense early in the regular season.
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What teams are asking about Commanders’ Brian Robinson Jr. amid trade interest
After reports surrounding Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr.’s imminent exit amid trade interest, that notion was confirmed this week. Coach Dan Quinn confirmed the Commanders’ plans for Robinson Jr. as he was also inactive in Monday’s 31-17 preseason loss against the Cincinnati Bengals. After the loss, Quinn released a statement that the Commanders and Robinson Jr. would be going their separate ways, which means a potential trade should be coming down the pike soon, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. “Brian Robinson Jr. did not play, and Dan Quinn pretty much, confirming that they’re going to move on from Robinson here,” Garafolo said. “He is set to make a total of $3.5 million per this season in the final year of his deal. So, it’s looking like a potential trade. Both sides agreed he’s not going to play to play in that game to keep a trade alive — didn’t want him to get hurt in that case.” Still, there isn’t an apparent reason why the Commanders are actively shopping Robinson Jr. for potential suitors. “I know there’s interest because, as I’ve reported this, I’ve heard from teams that are saying, “What happened there?” How did he fall out of favor? Does he want a new contract? Yeah, I mean, eventually he does,” Garafolo added. “But this is a contract year, and right now, given this situation, my understanding is he wants the best possible situation for him to have the best possible season to set him up for a payday this offseason as a free agent. “So, right now, all about fit for Brian Robinson. I believe he’s going to have a new home. If it’s not via trade and they got to cut him, he’ll have a new home in short order,” Garafolo concluded. Dan Quinn hints at Brian Robinson Jr’s Commanders exit The plans to sit Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. against the Bengals only fueled trade interest until head coach Dan Quinn’s public interest confirmed suspicion. “There’s just a lot of moving parts this time of year,” Quinn said via a team transcript. “Those things take place. And so I just wanted to make sure that’s my responsibility to let the team know whenever I can, so they’re not hearing any information from anywhere else. So that was all more of the standard operating procedure for me.” Quinn added that he has too much respect for Robinson Jr. to reveal what led to the Commanders’ decision to part ways with their veteran running back.
Packers' blockbuster trade pitch adds Micah Parsons for huge price
Speculation linking Dallas Cowboys All-Pro edge-rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers continues to gain momentum as the star’s holdout amid stalled contract negotiations seems as far apart as ever. Parsons, two weeks ago, publicly requested a trade and continues to hold-in during Cowboys training camp, while there is a belief that Green Bay is attempting to pull off a blockbuster trade. Potential Packers-Micah Parsons Blockbuster Trade Package Parsons, 26, has posted 52.5 sacks through his first four seasons and is one of the most dominant players at his position. He is the kind of difference-maker who could cement Green Bay as a legitimate Super Bowl contender for years to come. But prying Parsons away from the Cowboys wouldn’t come cheap. "You’d want to hope to trade no more than three good young players for one elite player," an NFL executive and former general manager said to me recently of what a Parsons trade package might look like. Given that strategy, it isn’t difficult to envision Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst offering a package of players and picks that looks something like: Packers Trade: 2026 first-round NFL Draft choice, 2027 first-round draft choice, WR Romeo Doubs, EDGE Lukas Van Ness Cowboys Trade: Micah Parsons Trading two first-round picks is likely the starting point for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys in any Parsons negotiations. For the Packers, trading Van Ness would be offering a change of scenery for a former first-round draft choice who has yet to live up to expectations, and upgrading the position with a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber player. Meanwhile, shipping Doubs to Dallas clears a logjam at wide receiver, while helping the Cowboys round out a balanced receiving corps that would include CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens and Doubs as perhaps the most prolific collection of talent Dak Prescott has had in his career. Whether Parsons’ trade request is anything more than posturing remains to be seen, but if the Cowboys open up trade talks, this package could be the kind of trade that nets Green Bay a difference-maker.
Fever receive devastating injury news on Sophie Cunningham
Injuries continue to be the pitfall for the Indiana Fever this season. Per ESPN, Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has been ruled out for the rest of the season following a knee injury she suffered in Indiana's 99-93 win over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday. The injury comes with nine games left in the regular season for the Fever. At 19-16, Indiana has the third-best record in the Eastern Conference and is set to make a playoff push this summer. The Fever have been without second-year star Caitlin Clark since July 15, as the guard has been dealing with a groin injury. The team hopes she can return in the regular season, but Indiana could be significantly shorthanded on offense until her return. Cunningham has averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 30 games played this season. She has been crucial as a rotational player, averaging 25.2 minutes for the Fever. The 29-year-old became an early darling of the WNBA this season for standing up for Clark both on and off the court. Cunningham recently signed a podcast deal with Colin Cowherd. The good news for Cunningham is that she is expected to make a full recovery. However, the injury will crush what could have been a special season for the Fever if and when Clark returns.
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