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."
WHY DID 22 PLAYERS SUDDENLY WITHDRAW FROM THE 2026 ITALIAN OPEN MID-TOURNAMENT?
Discover the full list of injured stars, including Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, forced out of the 2026 Italian Open.
At the 2026 Italian Open, the number of players who have withdrawn or retired during matches has climbed to 22, spanning both the ATP and WTA competitions.
By midweek, 17 players had already exited the combined ATP/WTA 1000 event in Rome. Since then, an additional three men and two women have followed suit.
Before the draws were even announced on Monday, prominent names like Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, and Marketa Vondrousova had pulled out. On the opening day of the women’s tournament, Tuesday, Marta Kostyuk and Emma Raducanu also withdrew.
Amanda Anisimova, ranked sixth in the WTA, stepped back before her first match on Thursday due to a left wrist injury. Meanwhile, Victoria Mboko, who is ninth in the world, withdrew before playing on Friday because of a gastrointestinal illness.
Valentin Vacherot, the 16th-ranked player on the ATP tour, pulled out shortly before his scheduled second-round match against Marin Cilic on Friday, citing a foot injury.
Tomas Machac, holding the 41st spot in the men's rankings, also withdrew ahead of his second-round encounter with Daniil Medvedev after an impactful win against Stefanos Tsitsipas in round one.
Arthur Fils, ranked 17th, retired during his opening match against Andrea Pellegrino on Saturday, trailing 0-4, due to hip pain.
Here’s a rundown of the withdrawals on the ATP side: Carlos Alcaraz (No. 2) was replaced by Sebastian Ofner; Taylor Fritz (No. 7) by Zachary Svajda; Valentin Vacherot (No. 16) by Martin Landaluce; Arthur Rinderknech (No. 24) by Aleksandar Kovacevic; Holger Rune (No. 40) by Damir Dzumhur; Gabriel Diallo (No. 46) by Alexander Blockx; Jack Draper (No. 50) by Hamad Medjedovic; Raphael Collignon (No. 68) by Alexandre Muller; Reilly Opelka (No. 74) by Aleksandar Vukic; Arthur Cazaux (No. 73) by Mattia Bellucci; Kamil Majchrzak (No. 76) by Roberto Bautista Agut; and Eliot Spizzirri (No. 92) by James Duckworth.
On the WTA side, Amanda Anisimova (No. 6) was replaced by Elena Gabriela Ruse from Romania; Victoria Mboko (No. 9) by Nikola Bartunkova; Marta Kostyuk (No. 15) by Ajla Tomljanovic; Emma Raducanu (No. 30) by Lilli Tagger; Marketa Vondrousova (No. 44) by Solana Sierra; Sonay Kartal (No. 56) by Zeynep Sonmez; Varvara Gracheva (No. 61) by Eva Lys; and Veronika Kudermetova (No. 70) by Petra Marcinko.
THE "REST OVER REPS" PLAN: WHY JANNIK SINNER IS SNUBBING HALLE FOR WIMBLEDON
After 23 consecutive wins, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner adjusts his schedule to target a Career Grand Slam and Wimbledon glory.
Jannik Sinner has already logged a heavy schedule this year, with deep runs in recent Masters 1000 tournaments keeping him on court against top-tier competition regularly. Given this demanding stretch, he’s taken a fresh look at his calendar and decided to skip the Halle Open, carving out a three-week break between Roland Garros and his Wimbledon title defence.
The 2024 Wimbledon champion won’t be heading to Germany for the grass-court event. That’s notable since Sinner claimed that Wimbledon crown in impressive fashion, overcoming two-time winner Carlos Alcaraz to secure his first major title away from hardcourts. That victory was his latest Grand Slam, following Alcaraz’s wins at the previous two majors.
After Roland Garros, where he seeks to complete the career Grand Slam, Sinner plans to recharge rather than pile on more tournaments before Wimbledon. Without Alcaraz in sight, he’s considered a favourite to maintain his remarkable run. His recent haul includes titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and, most recently, Madrid. Now, he’s setting his sights on Rome, his home turf, where he’s never clinched a win but is eager to continue an ambitious streak of Masters 1000 victories, aiming for a sixth in a row.
Post-Rome, he’ll take a week off before the French Open begins. In total, Sinner has played 23 matches over the last two months without tasting defeat. If he wants to lift the Rome trophy, he’ll need to notch six more wins, then potentially battle through seven more rounds in Paris. This demanding schedule partly explains his choice to forgo Halle.
As for the 2026 Halle Open, fans might be disappointed not to see the world number one, but the field remains strong. Heading the draw is Alexander Zverev, a local favourite who has yet to claim a grass-court title or even one on home soil. With Sinner out, this could be a prime opportunity for Zverev to break through.
The American players are also well represented. The U.S. hasn’t seen a finalist here since Mardy Fish in 2004, but Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton might be poised to change that, especially Fritz, who has already shown grass prowess with titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne last year.
Defending champion Alexander Bublik, who ousted Sinner on his way to victory and took down Daniil Medvedev in the final, will be back aiming to repeat. Alongside him, names like Andrey Rublev, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe are also set to compete. The tournament runs from June 15 to 21, promising plenty of exciting tennis.
