Jannik Sinner has insisted that there is no need for him to hit the panic button after crashing out in the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open on Thursday.
The world No.2 was stunned 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3, by Jakub Mensik, who hadn’t beaten a top-two player in his career until this week. It is only the 14th loss the Italian has suffered since the start of 2024. Sinner was also beaten in the semi-finals of the Australian Open last month, which makes it the first in 18 months that he has failed to reach the final at back-to-back tournaments.
Despite the loss, Sinner paid tribute to Mensik’s performance whilst also at the same time admitting he made costly mistakes. Mensik is ranked 16th in the world and is currently the reigning champion at the Miami Masters, as well as the ASB Classic in New Zealand.
“In the first set, Jakub served really well, with almost 90% of first serves in play, so it was difficult to respond,” Sinner told reporters in Doha.
“In the third set, I had a difficult moment, I made a couple of mistakes and I’m a little disappointed with how I handled those moments, but it can happen. I’ll have a couple of days off and then there are two weeks to work hard.”
Elaborating further, the four-time Grand Slam champion swiftly dismissed the suggestion he is going through a difficult moment in his career. His second-place spot in the ATP rankings is safely secured for the coming weeks as he leads third-placed Novak Djokovic by just over 5000 points. However, he could be up to 3250 points behind Carlos Alcaraz if the Spaniard wins the Doha title this week.
“I’ve had two incredible years, so a slight dip doesn’t worry me.” He said.
“I know I can play better tennis, but at the same time Jakub played really well, serving really well.
“We all have ups and downs in our work. Obviously, in every tournament I play, I want to go as far as possible, but it’s normal to go through difficult moments. I’ve had worse ones in the past, so I know how to bounce back.”
As for his current fitness, Sinner assured he is in good shape but also confirmed he suffered from ‘some problems’ following his Australian Open exit. He didn’t specify what those were or the severity.
“I had some problems after Australia, but now I feel pretty good again. In Australia, I was a little off my game, this time I tried to push myself a little harder. I still need to find a balance in this too, it’s something that can give me a lot in the future.” He said.
Sinner, who has a win-loss of 7-2 so far this season, will be seeking redemption next month in America with the Masters events in Indian Wells and Miami taking place. He missed both of those tournaments last year due to a 90-day suspension related to a failed anti-doping test in 2024. He tested positive for low levels of the anabolic steroid clostebol, which was concluded to be caused by accidental contamination. His ban was due to the view that he has a responsibility to ensure his team members are following the right protocols at all times.
“All players struggle a little in their careers, but I wouldn’t even say I’m struggling. I lost a couple of matches, big matches, it was great to play them. I always have to remember what I’ve done over the last three years, winning so many matches and losing so few. I have the confidence I need to play against top-level opponents.” Sinner concluded.
