Jannik Sinner admitted he “got lucky” after cramping threatened to derail his four-set comeback win over American Eliot Spizzirri on Saturday at the Australian Open.
The extreme heat policy and a timely roof closure helped the two-time defending champion reset and push through to the fourth round in Melbourne. Sinner began to cramp early at one set all, just as play was suspended and the roof was closed — a pause that proved pivotal in swinging momentum back his way.
“I got lucky today,” Sinner said in his post-match press conference. “At the point when they closed the roof, it took a little bit of time. I tried to loosen up a little bit. It helped... I also changed the way of playing certain points. That helped me today, for sure.”
Sinner spent around 10 minutes off court while the roof was closing. Although he was not permitted to receive treatment, he used the break to stretch and bring his body temperature down.
“You cannot have treatment in that time, so I was stretching,” said Sinner, the No. 2 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. “I laid down for five minutes, trying to loosen up the muscles. It worked really well. Trying to get the body temperature a bit down. That's it. There are not many things you can do. Time passed quite fast, but it helped me, for sure.”
It is not the first time cramp has tested Sinner’s resilience. He was forced to retire in the third round of his Shanghai title defence against Tallon Griekspoor in October last year, before battling through similar issues just weeks later in a gruelling three-set win over Alexander Zverev in the Vienna final.
Sinner believes there is not always a clear explanation when these moments arise.
“I feel like sometimes there are no real explanations,” Sinner said. “For example, last night I didn't sleep the way I wanted to. The quality of sleep was not perfect… Maybe it was this; maybe not. Regardless of that, I try to be in the best possible shape every day [with] recovery, everything going in the right direction. It can happen.
“I know my body a little bit better now. I hope that it goes away slowly, which was the case. Today, the rule helped me. I also had 10 minutes after the third set. So I tried to have a good balance.”
The win was reminiscent of Sinner’s fourth-round victory over Holger Rune at Melbourne Park last year, when he also had to manage physical discomfort en route to the title.
Asked about his “luck” in navigating these situations, Sinner — who is aiming to become just the second man in the Open Era after Novak Djokovic to win three consecutive Australian Open titles — pointed instead to preparation and mindset.
“I'm someone who tries to put tennis in the highest priority,” said Sinner. “I know that I've been doing that for years now. In the back of my mind I know how much I work. I feel well prepared even if some problems could happen potentially on the court.
“Of course, there are going to be days where you don't find a way. It's not that everything is going your way. But with a positive mindset, for sure more positive things can happen. If you are in a court thinking in a negative way, most likely more negative things can come towards you. I try to stay calm even in a moment like this.”
After navigating a tricky test, Sinner booked his place in the fourth round for the fifth consecutive year. He will next face fellow Italian Luciano Darderi in their first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.
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