Jannik Sinner Faces Fitness Concerns Amid Rome Masters Semifinal Challenge

Sinner's Battle Against Medvedev

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner encountered a tough opponent in Daniil Medvedev during their semifinal match at the Rome Masters on Friday. Sinner started strong, taking the first set 6-2, but Medvedev made a remarkable comeback, winning the second set 7-5 after breaking Sinner's serve twice. The match was interrupted by rain while Sinner was ahead 4-2 in the third set. Throughout the second and third sets, Sinner appeared to struggle with his fitness, even experiencing nausea on the court during the second set. The rain delay came at a crucial moment for the Italian player. Sinner may still secure a victory after the match resumes, but it raises significant concerns about his sudden fitness drops. Is it due to the demanding tennis schedule, psychological factors, or something else? A viral clip from the match showed Sinner appearing to have a panic attack, which has alarmed fans regarding his physical and mental well-being ahead of Roland Garros.

This isn't the first instance of such issues for Sinner. During his match against Holger Rune at the Australian Open, he experienced similar symptoms, including shaking hands and difficulty holding a towel.

Sinner did not elaborate much but mentioned he was facing health issues. “I wasn't feeling well, I felt dizzy. No injuries, just a few health problems. I fought against a tough opponent, but also a little against myself,” he stated post-match. Emilio Sodano, a former doctor for the Italian national team and current health manager of the Tennis Federation, commented on Sinner's situation, suggesting it might be more psychological than physical. “I was also surprised by that tremor. It was a strange mode. Of course, from so many thousands of kilometres away, it is impossible to make a diagnosis: I can only put forward some hypotheses. And his idea is that it was a 'anxiety and fear' reaction, not something organic,” he noted, as reported by Quotidiano Sportivo. “The way that tremor happened was very strange. I would rule out dehydration, even in those very hot conditions. The match had just started, the tennis players drink a lot and are careful to keep the situation under control. I don't even think of a pressure decrease; the situation was resolved very quickly. Dizziness for a labyrinthitis? No, it gives severe vertigo and he would have collapsed to the ground. If anything, according to Sodano, it could have been a psychological reaction in the face of an unexpected illness, an anxiety reaction, a fright, given also the speed with which the tremor disappeared,” he concluded.

When Will Jannik Sinner-Daniil Medvedev Match Resume

Meanwhile, the tournament organizers have announced that the match will continue at 3 PM local time (6:30 PM IST) on Saturday, two hours before the scheduled women's final featuring Coco Gauff and Elina Svitolina.