Rinderknech, freshly married, ready for Sinner: 'I believe in my chances'

The past fortnight has been a whirlwind of emotion for Arthur Rinderknech, and the ride isn’t over yet.

Fresh from his wedding to partner Hortense Boscher in Brittany last week, the 29-year-old Frenchman prepares for a pivotal moment at Roland Garros. Rinderknech will take on the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Jannik Sinner, in the first round on Monday.

“I feel very good. I got married hardly a week ago, so this is a beautiful part of my private life that is taking place, and I want to continue surfing on this wave,” Rinderknech said in his pre-tournament press conference on Saturday. “Obviously the first round is not going to be easy.

“After all, some people say it's better to play him [Sinner] in the first round than the finals. I would have liked to play him in the finals, but I respect him very well. I managed to beat him once. He's a great player, I'm impatient. I want to enjoy the game on the court, and I will give everything I have, and I believe in my chances.”

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Rinderknech will hope to continue that wave against a player he has notched success against in the past. While Sinner leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 2-1, Rinderknech won their first meeting in Lyon in 2021, which was their only battle on clay.

Aiming to forge another memorable win on the surface, Rinderknech will have the backing of a raucous home crowd on his side when they step foot on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

“I love the [crowd], especially the French [crowd],” said Rinderknech. The ‘Blue Tribune’ is a little group that has been created that is really supporting the French and animating the whole [crowd].”

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Rinderknech first competed against Sinner in 2021 and then played him twice more over the next eight months, so is well placed to comment on the Italian’s development.

“I saw him grow. I saw him develop and blossom, and he's a guy I have a lot of respect for,” said Rinderknech. “He is quiet, and that is very important. It's very nice when a player like him says hello to everyone when he comes into the lockers. It's something I really respect. He's a great champion. I believe we have a very good relationship.”

If Rinderknech is successful against Sinner, he will face a second-round meeting with Terence Atmane or Richard Gasquet, who is retiring at the conclusion of the tournament. The 38-year-old Gasquet made his debut in 2002 and notably reached the quarter-finals in 2016.

“I can picture myself there already,” said Rinderknech, who owns a 2-5 record at Roland Garros, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. “I saw that I was lucky enough to play against Richard here at Roland Garros two years ago. I know what it means. I know the player. I know the person. He's a great guy, and I hope for both of us that we play the second round. It [would] be a great pleasure.”