Jannik Sinner, Greg Rusedski break into debate and displace everyone

Although Roland Garros is now behind us, Jannik Sinner’s resounding withdrawal in the second round against Juan Manuel Cerundolo continues to spark discussion. After technical analyses, heat hypotheses, and assessments of physical preparation, Greg Rusedski now breaks into the debate, offering a completely different reading in his podcast ‘Off Court with Greg’.

According to the former world No. 4 and 1997 US Open finalist, what happened to Sinner had nothing to do with an athletic decline or mismanagement of weather conditions and hydration, as for example speculated by former colleague Andre Agassi. For him, the explanation is much simpler and independent of the level of preparation.

“Agassi said one thing very clearly,” Rusedski explained, “Jannik Sinner was able to hold on for 5 hours and 50 minutes in the longest final in the history of the men’s Roland Garros. Twelve months later he collapsed in a second round after just one hour and 45 minutes. Let’s face it, it’s something we’ve seen before: I think he doesn’t want to tell everyone that he’s been hit by a virus, but that’s how it was for me.”

The former British tennis player went on to categorically rule out that it was a problem with preparation or nutrition: “I don’t think, after an hour and 45 minutes, the problem has anything to do with physical preparation, hydration or nutrition. We are talking about a maniacal perfectionist. He does everything flawlessly. Look at what happened to Arnaldi: he had to withdraw from the semifinals because of a virus.”

In the meantime, Sinner underwent clinical examinations at Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital scheduled just after his exit at Roland Garros, with the more than likely goal of figuring out what happened on that cursed day under the Parisian sun. On his way out, he avoided reporters, immediately taking the direction of the van that accompanied him to the hospital, while looking serene and smiling.