Reigning Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner has defended his no-show at the Paris Games.
The current world No.1 is currently competing at the Montreal Masters after recovering from tonsilitis which cruelly ended his chances of making his Olympic debut.
After his 6-2, 6-4 victory over Croatia's Borna Corić, the 22-year-old hit back at claims that he 'isn't Italian enough' and didn't make the 'extra effort' to compete in Paris.
"It's a question I don't even want to have to answer honestly. I think only my team and I really know how I felt.. from the outside it's one thing, from the inside it's another. I especially know how I felt," Sinner explained.
“I had said since the beginning of the year that my biggest goal was the Olympics, but unfortunately I wasn't even able to get out of bed. Then honestly, what people think? Let's say I give it little importance, little weight.
“I’m not on social media anymore, which is something that does me a lot of good. Then I read some things anyway, it's obvious that when you open your phone there are notifications and I see something. But I also know who I am as a person and what kind of people I have around me, who all care a lot about me.
"Unfortunately this time it went like this, there will always be some good things and some a little bit worse, like this. I understand people's reaction, I'm honest, but now I'm here in Montreal and what happened happened."
Despite his absence, Italian tennis thrived at the Games. Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani picked up gold in the women's doubles, while Lorenzo Musetti claimed bronze in the men's singles - much to the delight of Sinner.
“At the moment we (Italy) are in a very good position. We saw that in the Olympic Games also," he explained. "It's just nice to see a huge part of Italian tennis coming into the tennis world. Mostly we are all very young, which is very nice. Everyone is (a) different player. It's not that everyone plays in the same way. It's very positive."
Sinner continues his Montreal campaign against 15th seed Alejandro Tabilo in the round of 16 tomorrow on Centre Court.
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