Kim Clijsters is blunt about Jannik Sinner: “That’s what’s going through his head”

The news that Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the Montreal Masters 1000 has sparked debate among fans and tennis insiders. The Italian has chosen to extend his break in order to be in top form for the US Open, where he has a score to settle with Carlos Alcaraz. But his decision also puts an end to the dream of winning all the Masters 1000 tournaments in a calendar year—a goal that the world No. 1 clearly does not consider a priority.

Kim Clijsters, a former world No. 1 tennis player, also weighed in on the decision, sharing her thoughts on her “Love All” podcast: “I think this shows that maybe something isn’t quite right behind the scenes. Maybe he’s not physically or mentally ready, after winning Wimbledon, to return to competing at such a high and intense level.”

“These tournaments don’t take place over a short period of time. There’s a lot of tennis played—intense matches—and I think it’s a very, very smart choice on his part and on the part of his team. Although I know it couldn’t have been easy at all to decide to skip Montreal.” The five consecutive Masters 1000 titles won by the Italian then led to his collapse at Roland Garros—a lesson Sinner has learned. “Winning Grand Slams—and in this case, the U.S. Open—is obviously his main goal. It’s that thing that’s always on your mind, and his goal is to be ready and not run the risk of burning out mentally or physically.”

Sinner will have other opportunities to break records: “I think he’ll break many records in the future, and he’s already broken quite a few. I think it’s very smart to focus on what’s most important and not get distracted by the idea of being the absolute number one in this or that. And I think that’s a smart choice, but I’m sure it wasn’t an easy one.”