What happened to Jannik Sinner? For Boris Becker, the problem is a different one

The day after Jannik Sinner’s defeat at Roland Garros many insiders are trying to explain the Blue’s slump. For many it is simply the heat, others are talking about accumulated fatigue after playing practically all the time in recent months, and still others are even bringing up a possible genetic problem. The world number one himself has revealed that he has been sleeping badly and not feeling 100 percent since the morning.

German tennis legend Boris Becker is among those who instead believe the problem is mainly mental: “I don’t know if it was the heat. You play for two hours and suddenly you start showing signs of cramping. I have a hard time believing it, and in my opinion it’s all his fault. I liked that he didn’t make excuses and simply said, ‘It was my fault.’ He was completely drained. This was one game too many. It can happen to anyone.”

“In recent weeks he had been playing as if he was from another planet, always focused, always ready to answer everyone’s questions, today’s game was simply one too many. What can be the reasons for this performance slump? In my opinion, it cannot be a physical problem, it must be mental. We don’t know what is going on inside him. How much pressure is he putting on himself? He said he has been sleeping badly. When you think too much and you’re nervous, it’s hard to sleep…,” Becker told Eurosport.

Aryna Sabalenka, the women’s world number one and a friend of the South Tyrolean, also wanted to express her sympathy for Sinner. “I felt very sorry for him. I was always rooting for Jannik and to see him suffer like that was really painful. I believed he would win, until the last ball, and I hoped he would succeed,” the Belarusian told a press conference. “What happened to him is sad, but I am confident that he will come back even stronger. Now, I guess, it’s time to recover, rest and get ready for the grass season. It’s a shame to see him leave the tournament so soon.”