“How is this acceptable??” – Netizens slam Australian Open for allowing Jannik Sinner an 11-minute medical timeout in his fourth round against Holger Rune

World No.1 Jannik Sinner battled past illness to beat Holger Rune in the fourth-round of the Australian Open.

“How is this acceptable??” – Netizens slam Australian Open for allowing Jannik Sinner an 11-minute medical timeout in his fourth round against Holger Rune

Jannik Sinner, Holger Rune (Images via Aus Open/X)

Jannik Sinner faced the most difficult match at the 2025 Australian Open when he was up against Holger Rune in the fourth round on Monday (January 20). The match, which was played inside the Rod Laver Arena, saw the two youngsters play some incredible and exhausting rallies, including one where Sinner claimed the point of the tournament.

After winning the first set, the 23-year-old probably suffered from some injury during the second set and could win just three games. Sinner was in discomfort, for his right hand could be seen trembling during a break in the third set, and he even took an 11-minute medical timeout when he was 3-2.

YouTube video

To everyone’s surprise, he left the court and went toward the locker room with his physio and doctor. After emerging from the locker room, the Italian won the third set 6-3.

FS Video

Even Rune took a medical timeout to get a treatment on his right knee. The match was halted once again as the screw that held the net was broken. This happened in the fourth set when Rune was 1-0 and one of Sinner’s serve hit the net and did the damage. This time, both the players left the court and were back in the locker rooms.

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Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune

Although this interruption didn’t bother the tennis fans much, it was Sinner’s 11-minute medical timeout that triggered social media discussions.

Fans slam the tournament for allowing Jannik Sinner lengthy medical timeout

The 11-minute medical timeout displeased some fan who thought it was unfair to Holger Rune who had the momentum after winning the second set. The fans rather wanted Jannik Sinner to retire from the match instead of taking a lengthy medical timeout.

Holger Rune, Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner (Image via X)

Check out their reactions here:

Sinner clinched the fourth set and eventually the match with a scoreline of 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the third time. He later revealed that had a ‘very strange morning’ and even skipped the warm-up before the match against the Dane.

He has now improved his head-to-head record against Rune to 3-2. It was for the second time Sinner dropped a set in the tournament, after his second-round clash with Australia’s Tristan Schoolkate.

The defending champion, who last year defeated Daniil Medvedev in five sets in the final at Melbourne, is now waiting for the winner of the fourth-round clash between Alex de Minaur and 20-year-old American ace Alex Michelsen.

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Novak Djokovic and Darren Cahill (via X/Tennis Majors)

Sinner, the two-time Grand Slam champion, was never defeated by De Minaur in their nine meetings. Against Michelsen, on the other hand, he is 2-0 in their head-to-head record.