“I need a break,” says Jannik Sinner in a heartfelt message after his exit from the French Open.
Jannik Sinner says he “needs some time off” after a surprising second-round loss at the French Open. The 24-year-old was the clear favourite to win at Roland-Garros after Carlos Alcaraz had to pull out because of a wrist injury. Sinner came into the match on a 30-match winning streak but faced Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
At one point, Sinner was leading 6-3, 6-2, 5-1 and even serving for the match. But then, courtside microphones caught him saying he felt dizzy and sick. After getting treatment, he lost the set 7-5 and struggled to keep up. The world number one ended up losing the match 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1.
“I just had no energy today. That happens — no one is a robot,” Sinner said after the match. “I woke up not feeling great and tried to keep points short. At first, I was playing well, but then I hit a wall. I started feeling dizzy and really low on energy. I tried to finish with my serve, but I just didn’t have enough left.”
He also talked about the weather, saying, “It was warm, but not too hot. It wasn’t the heat or the weather; it was just me today. These things happen.”
Later that night, Sinner shared a message on social media saying, “It wasn’t my day today. We’ve had an amazing year so far, but now I need some time to rest. Thanks so much for all your support, and congrats to @jmcerundolo on a great match. See you soon. Au revoir, Paris.”
After recently completing the ‘Career Golden Masters’ with his win at the Italian Open, it looks like Sinner will take a much-needed break before Wimbledon next month.
The director of the Italian Open told Eurosport that Sinner’s body has been worn down after playing so many long tournaments. He even thought about skipping the Italian Open earlier this month. Speaking about a chat with fellow Italian player Matteo Berrettini, Angelo Binaghi said Sinner “couldn’t carry on” in Italy but somehow found a little extra energy when he needed it most.
“Berrettini told me, ‘No, he can’t do it anymore; it’s impossible for him to come.’ So, I didn’t expect him to play,” Binaghi said. “We were really worried about his physical condition. We saw problems in his matches against Rublev and especially Medvedev.”
Binaghi added, “In his last match, Jannik showed energy he probably didn’t even know he had — that’s what great champions do. They’re not like normal people and can push through pain and limits in ways the rest of us can’t.”