Top-Ranked Jannik Sinner Pulls Out of Paris Masters Citing a Virus

 Italy's Jannik Sinner looks on during the awards ceremony after his final tennis match against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in the "6 Kings Slam" exhibition tournament in Riyadh on October 19, 2024. (AFP)
Italy's Jannik Sinner looks on during the awards ceremony after his final tennis match against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in the "6 Kings Slam" exhibition tournament in Riyadh on October 19, 2024. (AFP)
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Top-Ranked Jannik Sinner Pulls Out of Paris Masters Citing a Virus

 Italy's Jannik Sinner looks on during the awards ceremony after his final tennis match against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in the "6 Kings Slam" exhibition tournament in Riyadh on October 19, 2024. (AFP)
Italy's Jannik Sinner looks on during the awards ceremony after his final tennis match against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in the "6 Kings Slam" exhibition tournament in Riyadh on October 19, 2024. (AFP)

Top-seeded Jannik Sinner has pulled out of the Paris Masters, citing a virus.

The Italian player, who is guaranteed to finish the year as No. 1, said in a message relayed by organizers that he is not able to play this week.

“I came very early here to prepare then I fell sick, I'm having a virus at the moment, which is going to pass the next two-three days, so bodywise I'm not ready to compete,” Sinner said.

Sinner is the second high-profile player to pull out of the final Masters 1000 event of the year following seven-time champion Novak Djokovic.

Sinner earlier this month beat Djokovic in straight sets to win the Shanghai Masters, giving the Italian his tour-leading seventh title of the season. Sinner became the first man to win more than six titles in a season since Andy Murray won nine in 2016.

The victory for Sinner came after he lost the final of the China Open in Beijing to Carlos Alcaraz and amid an ongoing doping case.



Napoli Passes Big Test of Serie A Leadership with 2-0 Win at AC Milan

Soccer Football - Serie A - AC Milan v Napoli - San Siro, Milan, Italy - October 29, 2024 Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo
Soccer Football - Serie A - AC Milan v Napoli - San Siro, Milan, Italy - October 29, 2024 Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo
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Napoli Passes Big Test of Serie A Leadership with 2-0 Win at AC Milan

Soccer Football - Serie A - AC Milan v Napoli - San Siro, Milan, Italy - October 29, 2024 Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo
Soccer Football - Serie A - AC Milan v Napoli - San Siro, Milan, Italy - October 29, 2024 Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo

Antonio Conte’s Napoli passed a big test of its Serie A leadership with a 2-0 win at AC Milan on Tuesday.
Romelu Lukaku and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored first-half goals at the San Siro and Napoli opened up a seven-point lead over defending champion Inter Milan, which visits Empoli on Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.
Lukaku muscled a defender to the ground before scoring from the center of the area early on. Then Kvaratskhelia dribbled past two defenders before launching an angled shot into the far corner before the break.
Milan center forward Alvaro Morata had a potential goal waved off for offside early in the second half.
Milan is eighth, 11 points back.
Napoli returns to the San Siro in less than two weeks to face Inter. The Partenopei have rebounded strongly after a 10th-place finish last season and are in position to earn their second title in three years.
Conte was hired in June after Napoli went through three different coaches last season.
Napoli hasn't lost since falling 3-0 at Hellas Verona in its season debut on Aug. 18.
Also, Bologna won 2-0 at Cagliari with goals from Riccardo Orsolini and Jens Odgaard; and Lecce beat nine-man Hellas Verona 1-0 with a goal from Patrick Dorgu.