Jannik Sinner and Adriano Panatta lash out at the usual naysayers and spark a debate

The debate over Jannik Sinner’s injury remains a hot topic among tennis fans: On this topic—broadening the discussion to how the public follows athletes’ physical condition—Adriano Panatta weighed in with a considerable dose of irony in the pages of *Corriere della Sera*. The former Italian No. 1 dedicated part of his column to the “Technical Commissioners of the Iliotibial Band,” who—especially on social media—turn into experts on joints, recovery protocols, and return-to-play timelines.

“They chase each other around on social media like they’re on a roller coaster. Fortunately, the man in question, Sinner, is speaking out. Not much, but he’s speaking out,” wrote Panatta, citing the Italian player’s remarks during Tuesday’s event at the Allianz Tower in Milan. He hadn’t spoken since his Wimbledon victory over Zverev and must have decided, through his sponsors, that the time had come to say something to his anxiously waiting fans, before the silence turned everyone into experts on joint surfaces.”

What struck the former champion most was Sinner’s emphasis on adhering to medical protocols. “He repeated and underscored it, to avoid any misunderstandings or speculation: ‘I’m under 24-hour monitoring.’” For Panatta, behind those words lies Sinner’s desire to return to the court as soon as possible: “A tennis player only feels like one when he’s on the court, and he makes no secret of wanting to return as soon as possible. The exhibition in Riyadh in late December, then perhaps a minor tournament, followed by the Melbourne Grand Slam in January.”

“And if that’s not possible, I hope the reasons won’t have to be explained to us by the ‘test strip experts’ who have, in the meantime, become ‘protocol scientists,’” added a caustic Panatta. His remark sparked immediate reactions on social media, dividing those who share his criticism of the hype and improvised diagnoses from those who, on the other hand, consider it normal to follow with greater interest the recovery timeline of a champion whom thousands of fans want to see back on the court as soon as possible.