Jannik Sinner advances to the semifinals at Roland Garros for the first time after defeating Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in three sets (6-2, 6-4, 7-6). However, the most significant accomplishment that will be etched in history occurred in the middle of the third set when the official account of the Parisian Slam announced Novak Djokovic's withdrawal from the tournament due to a knee issue. This news automatically elevates Sinner to the top spot on the ATP circuit as of the following Monday. The first Italian in history to accomplish this feat. Sinner will only need to consider trying to win the second Slam of the season to continue his pursuit of the Grand Slam dream. At this juncture, he might as well dream big: in the semifinals on Friday, he will face either the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is No. 9 in the ranking and seeding and was a finalist in Paris in 2021 (stopped in the fifth set by Djokovic), or the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who is ATP No. 3 and the third seed and was a semifinalist on French clay twelve months ago. But, returning to the now-official record, "this incredible, historic milestone is thanks to an extraordinary guy, surrounded by a staff of absolute value", said Angelo Binaghi, president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, in reference to Jannik Sinner's historic rise. "Jannik, on the other hand, comes from a family that has instilled in him a wealth of values, which has enabled him to achieve this result at the age of 22. It is a source of pride for our movement that an Italian is at the top of the world, and it brings a sense of fulfillment to all those who have dedicated their lives to the relaunch and subsequent success of Italian tennis in conjunction with me over the course of this extended period. It is a victory for the entire system, including our 14,000 tennis teachers, over 4,000 clubs, and all of the managers who, together, power this magnificent sport".
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