Jannik Sinner - ‘We Thought It Wasn't Serious, Then The MRI Saw That Something Was Wrong’ - UBITENNIS

Jannik Sinner – ‘We Thought It Wasn’t Serious, Then The MRI Saw That Something Was Wrong’

By Adam Addicott
8 Min Read

Jannik Sinner admits he is unable to confirm if he will be playing at the French Open due to a hip injury which appears to be more troublesome than initially thought. 

The world No.2 first shed light on his latest injury setback during the Madrid Open when he was seen touching his hip area during one of his matches. A couple of days later he withdrew from the tournament due to medical advice which warned that continuing to play could worsen his problem. Now he has been forced to also pull out of his home tournament. 

Speaking to reporters in Rome on Sunday, Sinner opened up about his injury but remains reluctant to reveal the exact issue he is facing. 

“Before Madrid I was feeling better, it was a strange situation. With (against) (Pavel) Kotov I felt quite a bit of pain. The day before the match with (Karen) Khachanov was better, but I knew something was wrong,” he said. 
“We had an MRI in Madrid and there was something wrong. In Monte Carlo, we did other tests and took this decision. It’s not easy because Rome is a special tournament. I have to accept it even if it hurts, both for me and for the fans. I’m 22 years old, I hope to play another 10 years in Rome.”

The issue comes after what has been a blistering start to the season by Sinner who claimed his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open before going on to win further trophies in Rotterdam and Miami. So far this year, he has only been beaten twice by Stefanos Tsitsipas in Monte Carlo and Carlos Alcaraz in Indian Wells. 

Sinner concedes that his schedule might have contributed towards his hip problem as he ponders making changes in the future. Including the possibility of not playing in one of the Tour’s most prominent clay court events. 

“We have to manage the situations better, understand next year whether it’s worth playing Monte Carlo or not. We can’t be perfect. I would like to play in all the tournaments,” he said.

As for the near future, the 22-year-old admits his participation at the French Open is in doubt with the tournament starting later this month. Roland Garros was the first major event where he reached the quarter-finals back in 2020. Since then, he has reached the fourth round on two other occasions before losing in the second round last year. 

“I won’t play for a while. From next week we’ll decide a few things,” Sinner explained.
“The preparation for Paris will not be optimal, but with my team we will do our best to be competitive. Arriving in Paris without matches in Rome is not easy, this tournament is important in view of Roland Garros.
“I’ve never had many physical problems when changing surfaces. I’m careful with my movements, we’re doing some low-intensity work. We’ll have answers in a week. I’ll play in Paris if I’m 100%.”

Whatever the outcome is regarding his presence at the French Open, Sinner has his sights set on becoming an even better player when he is back to full fitness. 

“I hope to come back as soon as possible and stronger than before,” he concluded. 

Full translation of Sinner’s press conference with the media in Rome

Translated by Kingsley Elliot Kaye

The president of the Italian Tennis Federation, Angelo Binaghi: “I thank Jannik for coming here. For Sinner it is a difficult moment, his phone call yesterday came as a shock. I thought the issue had been solved. I was in a meeting, I saw Jannik’s call and I didn’t have the strength to call him back for half an hour. It was going to be his feast, but once again he has made the right choice. This is thanks to his excellent team, probably the best possible. I repeat what I said in another difficult moment, during the Davis Cup: his goal is medium-term. Continuity is not winning an important tournament like the Internazionali di Roma or a Davis group. His choice, however painful, was the right one. Now we have to start again, stronger than before”

Q: When did the hip problem emerge?

SINNER – “Before Madrid I was feeling better, it was a strange situation. With Kotov I felt quite a bit of pain. The day before the match with Khachanov was better, but I knew something was wrong. We had an MRI in Madrid and there was something wrong. In Monte-Carlo, we did other tests and took this decision. It’s not easy because Rome is a special tournament. I have to accept it even if it hurts, both for me and for the fans. I’m 22 years old, I hope to play another 10 years in Rome.”

Q: If you were to look at the glass half full, what’s a good thing?

SINNER – “The glass is quite full considering what we have achieved during this season. There will also be difficult times in the future. Some injuries can be prevented, others cannot. We’ve done a great job so far. Last year I didn’t have any injuries. And neither this year so far. Let’s learn and move on. We have to manage the situations better and understand next year whether it’s worth playing Monte-Carlo or not. We can’t be perfect. I would like to play in all the tournaments, I was the first to say to try in Rome as well. I don’t see it as a defeat.”

Q: What have you learnt from this? Do you think you’ve made any mistakes?

SINNER – “I don’t know. Rest is very important, also for the mental part. After Monte-Carlo, I didn’t touch a racket for five days. When I arrived in Madrid I felt good, but then the situation got worse. I’m pretty confident.”

Q: What is your schedule for the next few weeks?

SINNER – “I won’t play for a while. From next week we’ll decide a few things. The preparation for Paris will not be optimal, but with my team we will do our best to be competitive. Arriving in Paris without matches in Rome is not easy, this tournament is important in view of Roland Garros”

Q: How confident do you feel about being able to play Paris?

SINNER – “So far, I’ve never had many physical problems when changing surfaces. I’m careful with my movements, we’re doing some low-intensity work. We’ll have answers in a week. I’ll play in Paris if I’m 100%.”

Q: Which is the most important event of the season for you?

SINNER – “It was Rome, all the games I can play in Italy are special. I’m in a good position for Turin, my goal is to be there.”

Q: What is your injury? Can you explain?

SINNER – “I don’t want to go into details. We thought it wasn’t anything serious, then with the MRI we saw that something was wrong. The situation is under control, I’ll stop a little longer if I don’t recover 100%. I don’t want to throw away years of my career in the future, I’m in no hurry.”

Q: If you were to look back, are there any mistakes you wouldn’t make again?

SINNER – “We did everything well, we took some days off after Monte-Carlo, which we needed in view of Madrid. We trained to build up form for Rome and Paris. We did everything correctly, if I should go back I wouldn’t know what to do better or differently. I haven’t suffered any injuries for a long time, I hope to come back as soon as possible and stronger than before.”

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