(Video) ‘Cramping’ Jannik Sinner Leaves the Court With Physio After Retiring From his Match at Shanghai Masters

Jannik Sinner's participation in Vienna is now under a question mark.

(Video) ‘Cramping’ Jannik Sinner Leaves the Court With Physio After Retiring From his Match at Shanghai Masters

A cramping Jannik Sinner left the court (via Tennis.com/ X (Sinner Times)

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Jannik Sinner’s title defense in Shanghai ended in the third round. The world No. 2 retired against Tallon Griekspoor during the final set after suffering from severe cramping. He needed help from the physio to leave the court, bringing a tough end to his campaign.

The contest had lasted two hours and 36 minutes before Sinner stopped. He edged the first set in a tiebreak, 7-6(3), but Griekspoor battled back to win the second 7-5. The Dutchman was leading 3-2 in the decider when Sinner could not continue, handing him the victory.

In the next round, Griekspoor will meet qualifier Valentin Vacherot. The Monaco player also advanced after Tomas Machac retired while trailing 6-0, 3-1. Both men now have a chance to push for a place in the last eight of the Masters 1000 event.

The winner of that clash will face either Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard or Holger Rune in the quarter-finals. Rune, who beat Ugo Humbert in straight sets, used his on-court interview to criticize the ATP. His comments added extra drama to a tournament already marked by high-profile retirements.

Jannik Sinner retires from Shanghai Masters

World No.2 Jannik Sinner’s title defence at the Rolex Shanghai Masters ended in tough fashion on Sunday night. The Italian was forced to retire in the deciding set of his third-round match against Tallon Griekspoor. At the time, the Dutchman led 6-7(3), 7-5, 3-2 in humid conditions.

Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ)

Sinner began to show physical issues late in the second set. He used ice towels during changeovers and massaged his right thigh, which appeared to cramp. In the third set, he limped between points and even raised his legs on the bench at a changeover to ease the pain. His movement grew more restricted as the match wore on.

The match itself had been a battle. Griekspoor was close to defeat when he faced three break points at 3-4 in the second set. He recovered strongly, turned the set around, and carried momentum into the decider. His perseverance ultimately forced Sinner to stop.

Griekspoor is now the first Dutchman to reach the fourth round in Shanghai. He will face qualifier Valentin Vacherot, who also advanced after Tomas Machac retired. For Sinner, the setback is costly in the race for the ATP Year-End No. 1, where he now sits 2,540 points behind Carlos Alcaraz in the live standings.

Jannik Sinner dealt huge blow of World No.1 spot

Italian tennis sensation Jannik Sinner’s run at the Shanghai Masters came to an end in the third round. The world No. 2 was forced to retire against Tallon Griekspoor due to cramping. He trailed 3-2 in the final set when he stopped, unable to continue in the humid conditions.

Jannik Sinner (2)
Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ)

The Italian’s exit comes at a difficult moment. Last year, he won the tournament by defeating Novak Djokovic in the final, collecting 1,000 valuable ranking points. This time, his campaign ended much earlier, meaning he will keep only 50 points from the event.

That drop of 950 points will reduce his total from 10,950 to 10,000 in the updated ATP Rankings. Sinner remains safely at No. 2, but the gap to Carlos Alcaraz at the top will now grow. The missed opportunity is a major setback in his chase for the year-end No. 1 position.

The defeat also changes the picture in Shanghai. With the defending champion gone, the draw is more open for other contenders. For Sinner, though, the bigger concern is how this slip affects his ranking race, with his hopes of overtaking Alcaraz before the end of 2025 now in doubt.

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