Coach Darren Cahill Addresses Controversial Australian Open Heat Rule That Saved Cramping Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner has inched closer to a third Australian Open title after breezing past countryman Luciano Darderi.
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Darren Cahill, Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ)
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The Australian Open heat rule saved Jannik Sinner from a possible upset, and he himself acknowledged the same in the press conference after his four-set win over Eliot Spizzirri in the fourth round. Under the scorching sun in Melbourne, the Italian ace suffered from severe cramps during the third set and was struggling to move.
The Australian Open immediately implemented the heat policy as the Heat Stress Scale reached 5. The roof of the Rod Laver Arena was closed, and during the 10-minute break, the World No.2 tried to cool down and loosen up his muscles. His coach, Darren Cahill, revealed that Sinner was still dealing with cramps after he returned to the court and finished the match in his favor.
It’s clear that Jannik was very lucky with the timing of the roof closure. Everyone on the team knew that, at some point, the match would be stopped to deploy the retractable roof. That’s why our main goal was for him to hold on as best he could until the end of the third set. It was obvious that there would be a ten-minute break, whether they closed the roof or not.
Darren Cahill said during ESPN’s broadcast
This triggered controversy with a section of the tennis community accusing the tournament of giving preferential treatment to the two-time defending champion. Even John McEnroe thinks the Melbourne Slam favored the second seed.
When he came back onto the court after the roof had been covered, he was still experiencing cramps all over his body, and even so, he managed to pull through the game. We are incredibly proud of him for the wonderful job he did in a critical situation.
Darren Cahill added
This is not the first time excessive heat got the better of Sinner, as he had to take an 11-minute medical timeout during his fourth-round match against Holger Rune in last year’s Australian Open. Severe cramps also forced him to hand the walkover to Tallon Griekspoor in last year’s Shanghai Masters, where Sinner was playing as the defending champion.
Sinner did not struggle against his fourth-round opponent, Luciano Darderi, winning the match in straight sets. He will be playing in the last eight in the tournament for the fourth time.
Darren Cahill reveals what he told Jannik Sinner before his match against Eliot Spizzirri
On his debut at the Australian Open, Eliot Spizzirri produced his best Grand Slam performance by making the third round. Prior to the Melbourne Major, he lost in the first round (2024) and the second round (2025) of the US Open.
Darren Cahill had warned Jannik Sinner to never lose his focus while competing against Spizzirri. The Aussie coach is foreseeing a bright future for him.
Before the match, I told Jannik he had to be very serious and focused. We approached the match as if we were facing a top-10 player because I’ve been following this kid for a while, and his development is impressive. I think he has a great future ahead of him.
Darren Cahill said on ESPN’s broadcast
Sinner is bidding to become the second man after Novak Djokovic to win three back-to-back titles in Melbourne in the Open Era. The South Tyrol native, who met Luciano Darderi for the first time in his career, has improved his win-loss record over his countrymen to 18-0.
Sinner will next be meeting Casper Ruud or Ben Shelton. In the previous two Australian Open finals, Sinner overcame a two-set deficit to beat Daniil Medvedev in 2023, while last year, he registered a straight-set win over Alexander Zverev.
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