The tennis ace will become the first Italian player to be world number one after Novak Djokovic's withdrawal at Roland Garros through injury but insists that his primary focus is winning in Paris after he reached the semi-finals of the Grand Slam.

Sinner said: "What can I say?

"It’s everyone’s dream to become No. 1 in the world; on the other hand, seeing Novak retiring here is disappointing for everyone. I wish him a speedy recovery.

"I try not to think about that too much because this is a tournament where I used to struggle a lot, especially in the last two years, so I’m happy to be in the semi-finals, try to enjoy it, and play my best tennis.

"It’s a special moment for me, and I’m very happy to share this with you guys, and all the people watching from home, especially in Italy."

Sinner defeated Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets to reach the last four and was delighted with how he performed in the quarter-final match.

He said: "Very happy.

"We’ve played against [each other] a couple of times before. We know what to expect. We played the final in Miami against each other. It’s always tough to play against him; he’s such a great talent and nice guy.

"My performance was very solid, especially the first two sets. Then I had a bit of tension when I was serving for the match, but this is normal. This is tennis. I’m very happy with how I reacted later, and I’m very happy to be in the semis."