Jannik Sinner struggles with unfamiliar situation in Italian Open win over Daniil Medvedev
Jannik Sinner admitted he struggled to sleep after his Italian Open semi-final match against Daniil Medvedev was suspended due to rain.
The 24-year-old raced into a 6-2 first set lead before the Russian pegged him back in a gruelling second (5-7) to set up a decider on Friday night.
Sinner took a medical timeout when he was up a break in the third set, much to the dismay of Medvedev, who felt the Italian was receiving treatment for cramps – something the ATP rules do not permit.
Sinner‘s army of fans argued that the four-time major winner did have a legitimate leg issue, and on Saturday, he came back to beat Medvedev 6-4 in the third.
In his post-match press conference, the 2025 Italian Open finalist did acknowledge how tough this match was from a physical standpoint, without addressing what this potential injury problem is.
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He told reporters, “Yeah, I had to fight very, very hard yesterday. I knew before the match it could be very physical. First set I played really well, then the conditions became very, very heavy. It was tough to get through.
“But in the same time I tried to understand what’s working best. I tried to play with the best energy possible. Yesterday was very tough.
“Today everything can happen because you start again from zero basically. Obviously the position where I’ve been in was much better with break up. When we played today was sunny, so different conditions. I’m happy that I got over the line.”
Sinner also said that playing one match over multiple days was something of a new experience for him and he wasn’t entirely sure how to handle it.
In addition to not getting a good night’s sleep, he hinted his energy levels are sapping away after winning 33-straight matches at Masters 1000 level.
He added, “I struggled a bit to sleep this night. It has been a situation I haven’t been in yet, where you need to finish when you’re nearly over with the match. You sleep, you don’t know what’s coming out the next day.
“Yeah, I think it’s normal that not every day we feel 100%. I tried to play with the best possible energy I have. Yesterday brought me to a point where I was up today. Today I’m very happy that I finished it.”
Sinner will take on Casper Ruud in the final on Sunday. The Italian holds a 4-0 head to head record against the Norwegian, including a 6-0 6-1 win over him at this very tournament last year.
WHAT NEXT? Jannik Sinner speaks after battling health issues to beat Medvedev
