Former Wimbledon Champion Argues That Jannik Sinner Has “A Fatal Bar” That Opponents Could Exploit

Jannik Sinner has lost all seven of his longest matches in his career, including six that reached the four-hour mark.

Former Wimbledon Champion Argues That Jannik Sinner Has “A Fatal Bar” That Opponents Could Exploit

Jannik Sinner (Image via X/GamebredSports)

Jannik Sinner is aiming to win his first Grand Slam on a clay surface and fourth career major title. The Italian opened his account at the French Open with a straight set victory. However, former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli has assessed the Italian’s fatal weakness that opponents could exploit.

Sinner has flourished in Grand Slam events since last season, winning three of the past five major titles. But all have come on the hard courts of the Australian Open (2024 and 2025) and the US Open (2024). He has never been to the final of the clay-court major (French Open) and grass (Wimbledon Championship).

He’s playing in just his second tournament since winning the Australian Open in January as he was unable to compete for three months due to being suspended for twice testing positive for banned clostebol. At his comeback tournament in Rome, the World No.1 won five straight matches before losing the title to Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

The clay court has been his toughest surface in recent years. In fact, he has not won a title on the red dirt for the past three years, with his last victory coming at the 2022 Croatian Open. Also, the Italian star has lost all seven of his longest matches in his career, including six that reached the four-hour mark.

He currently holds an underwhelming 6-9 record in Grand Slam matches that have reached five sets. The 23-year-old remains one of the best players of his generation but his physical staying power in long matches has become a doubt. Marion Bartoli revealed during Prime Video Sport France that it is certainly a factor opponents will love to exploit against Sinner at the French Open:

Sinner has taken on another physical dimension. He’s not the same player at all. We all remember a match he played here against Rafael Nadal [in 2020]. He pushed him around for a set and a half and we said to ourselves: ‘Wow, who is this new Italian who hits the ball very flat, who doesn’t really have a clay-court game?’ He’s a puncher, a hitter. He’s made enormous physical progress; today he’s a real athlete. So we know that the 4:30 mark is a bit of a fatal bar for Sinner. Beyond that, he starts to get stuck physically, but we have to take him beyond 4:30 of play.

Sinner admitted at the start of the Roland Garros that it would be his major physical test. The three-time Grand Slam champion lost to Alcaraz in the semi-finals of the Roland Garros last year, in a five-set thriller. He struggled in the final set with cramps, while the Spaniard showed his resilience.

Jannik Sinner understands that home crowd will fully support Richard Gasquet in their clash at the Roland Garros

Jannik Sinner defeated Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 in the first round of the French Open. The World No.1 will take on French veteran Richard Gasquet in the second round of the tournament. The French crowd will understandably support Gasquet at the Court Philippe-Chatrier, which doesn’t bother Sinner, who understands that home-court advantage will play a major role in their clash.

It’s definitely going to be different, I know that. But I don’t think they have something against me, no? It’s right that they support the players who are from here. Last year I played also against some French players here. So I know a little bit what to expect.

Jannik Sinner, Richard Gasquet
Jannik Sinner, Richard Gasquet (Image via X/The Tennis Letter, We Are Tennis France)

Sinner has faced Gasquet three times in his career leading their head-to-head record 3-0. Their last meeting was at the French Open last year, which the 23-year-old won in straight sets in the second round.

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