SHANGHAI SHOCK: JANNIK SINNER EXPLAINS STRUGGLE WITH ON-COURT CRAMP
Jannik Sinner reflects on his Shanghai Masters retirement, calling the cramping a "mental issue." The world No. 2 is now physically and emotionally ready for a strong finish to the season in Vienna, Paris, and Turin.
Jannik Sinner reflected on that circumstance and will be back on the tennis court less than two weeks after retiring at the Shanghai Masters.
The last time Sinner competed was at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Shanghai, where the Italian player's match did not go as planned. After Carlos Alcaraz withdrew, he was the clear favourite to win the title, but even Sinner failed to finish the tournament. After facing Tallon Griekspoor in the third round, the world No. 2 player decided to withdraw.
Sinner's calendar currently seems to be extremely packed after he missed a portion of the season due to his suspension earlier this year. He relocated to Saudi Arabia when his Asian career ended, and he will be the reigning champion at the Six Kings Slam's second edition.
According to Cronache di Spogliatoio, he discussed his physical state before the event and said that he was to blame for what transpired in Shanghai since he failed to manage the situation effectively.
"The Shanghai cramps? They were caused by a mental issue, in my opinion. I spoke with my team; from their perspective, I was not flawless, but now everything is good. I made the error of becoming depressed due to the heat and humidity. You can learn from their experiences. I was among many people who experienced cramping.
Jannik Sinner affirms his goals for the rest of 2025 and expresses excitement about returning to Saudi Arabia.
Three players, including Sinner, will participate in the Six Kings Slam's first two iterations. He is the only one of the three, though, who has not had a first-round bye this year.
Sinner was denied a first-round bye after winning the tournament the year before; instead, world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic received that honour. In spite of this, the Italian is eager to get back to Riyadh and will then compete in the Paris Masters, Vienna Open, and Turin ATP Finals.
"Yes, I am content. I have been able to play tennis here for the past two years. I am happy, but we will see what the mood is like. Every year has its own stories and is undoubtedly unique. I am content. We will see what I can accomplish this year, but I have some really formidable opponents."
"After taking two days off, we resumed our practice. I feel well both emotionally and physically, and we are prepared for the upcoming competitions in Vienna, Paris, and Turin. We want to end the year strong."
Stefanos Tsitsipas will be Sinner's first opponent at the tournament, but the four-time Grand Slam champion believes the Greek player is a formidable opponent despite his recent awful play.
"I will try to play my best tennis and see what happens, but it will be a tough match since he serves and moves really well."
NOVAK DJOKOVIC LANDS IN ATHENS AFTER HISTORIC AUSTRALIAN OPEN RUNNER-UP FINISH
After a historic loss to Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic returns to his family in Athens to reset for the 2026 tennis season.
After losing his first Australian Open final to Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic just wanted to see his family.
Djokovic landed in Athens on Tuesday, wrapping up two weeks away from home and marking his 38th appearance in a major final.
For the first time ever, Novak walked away from Rod Laver Arena with the runner-up trophy. At 36, he became the oldest finalist in Australian Open history, but Alcaraz stopped him in four sets: 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. The match lasted just over three hours.
This was Djokovic's first tournament in more than two months, and even so, he showed why people call him a legend. He cruised through the first three rounds and reached the last 16 without much fuss.
In the fourth round, Jakub Mensik had to pull out with an abdominal injury, so Novak got a walkover and saved some energy for the big matches ahead. But things nearly fell apart a few days later. Lorenzo Musetti took the first two sets in their quarterfinal, and for a moment, Djokovic looked like he might be headed home early. Then, out of nowhere, Musetti retired in the third set, and suddenly Novak was through to his 13th Australian Open semi-final.
Next up was Jannik Sinner, the two-time defending champ. Djokovic had to dig deep. Twice he came back from a set down and eventually won 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 after more than four hours on court. He fought off 16 out of 18 break points and weathered over 70 winners from Sinner, proving that belief really does go a long way. At 36, he marched into his 38th major final.
Djokovic left everything on court against Alcaraz. He started strong, but the Spaniard found his rhythm and took control in the second and third sets, racking up five breaks. In the fourth, Novak saved six break points early on and kept pace, even earning a break chance at 4-all. Then he missed a forehand he’d usually make, and just like that, his shot at a fifth set slipped away.
Alcaraz broke late in the set and sealed the win, handing Djokovic his first-ever loss in an Australian Open final. Now, Novak’s taking some time off to be with his family. He’s expected back on court soon, probably in Doha, but right now, only he knows how his schedule will look.
WHO IS SAMUEL LOPEZ? MEET THE COACH BEHIND CARLOS ALCARAZ’S 2026 AUSTRALIAN OPEN GLORY
Discover the touching moment Carlos Alcaraz saw coach Samuel Lopez receive a trophy after his Australian Open victory.
Carlos Alcaraz just pulled off something huge—he beat Novak Djokovic in four sets (2:6, 6:2, 6:3, 7:5) to win the Australian Open. With this win, he joins the legends of the Open era, becoming one of the rare players to snag at least one title at all four Grand Slams.
Here’s the wild part: Alcaraz is just 22. Actually, he turns 23 on May 5, so he’s still got plenty of time. This marks his seventh Grand Slam title already. For a bit of perspective, Djokovic had only one Grand Slam trophy at Alcaraz’s age.
Since he’d never won the Australian Open before, Alcaraz didn’t really know the drill for the trophy ceremony. His coach, Samuel Lopez, got a trophy too, which caught Carlos off guard—in a good way. Their partnership has clearly paid off.
Talking to the media, Alcaraz said he loved that coaches get recognised with their own trophy. He hadn’t seen that before and thought it was a fantastic idea, since a champion’s journey isn’t a solo effort. Watching Samuel Lopez get his moment meant a lot to him. “It’s wonderful, and when I saw him there, I was so happy because I know Samuel has been working toward this moment his whole life. For me, he’s one of the best coaches—if not the best—you can have on a tennis court today. For me, it was a magical and incredibly special moment: hugging him after the last point and also seeing him there, with everyone recognising what he deserves,” Alcaraz said.
Not everyone was convinced after Alcaraz split with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero and started working with Lopez. Some experts doubted whether he could keep dominating the tour this year. But after Melbourne, it looks like Alcaraz isn’t going anywhere. Even without Ferrero, he’s still leading the pack.
With three more Grand Slams coming up this season, it’s shaping up to be a wild ride. You get the feeling that we’ll be watching Alcaraz and Sinner battling for the biggest prizes all year long.