Venus Williams Opens Up on Jannik Sinner After French Open Heartbreak: ‘Never Considered Stopping’

Jannik Sinner has never won a match that has lasted more than three hours and 50 minutes. It is a quirky statistic that has followed the World No. 1 and, at times, frustrated his fans. The debate around his physical endurance has sadly resurfaced again after his third-round loss to Juan Manuel Cerúndolo at the French Open. But former major champion Venus Williams offered a very different perspective on the entire narrative.

“In my opinion, it’s more of a fluke than a real stat,” Williams refuted the claim while talking on the TNT desk. “Not only insane conditions, but he dealt with it with his head up. He never quit. He never walked off the court. He never considered stopping, even though it was the worst circumstances.”

There’s merit in the arguments put forward by Williams, as Sinner has acquitted himself well in long matches. In the epic French Open final against Alcaraz last year, there were no signs of fading from the Italian even in the fifth set, while the match clock was well past the five-hour mark. And it’s not just limited to one matchup.

Earlier this year at the Australian Open, Sinner played at a high level against Djokovic in the four-hour and nine-minute-long contest. Sure, the results did not go in favor of the Italian in these contests, but this was due to the brilliance of the opponents rather than his limitations. That being said, while the statistic of 3 hours and 50 minutes itself may be coincidental, concerns about Sinner’s struggles in extreme heat and humidity are more of a fact.

Everyone saw it happen when the Italian was cruising in his match against Cerundolo at Roland Garros this year. Just when he was on the cusp of victory, the heat took its toll, and he lost all his power and mobility on court. He lost 16 of the next 18 games. The alarming fact is that- this is not anything new for Sinner.

He was on the verge of elimination in Melbourne this year against Elliot Spizziri and last year against Holger Rune, where he definitely struggled under the heat, but was saved by lucky instances of a net breaking or the roof being closed.

Even though Williams has come to the Italian’s defense and commended him for his spirit, not all critics have been lenient about the World No. 1’s struggles. Not everyone thinks that this is a purely environmental issue.

Andre Agassi comes out strongly on Jannik Sinner’s preparation

While talking about Sinner’s withdrawal at the French Open, Andre Agassi was quite tough in his assessment at the TNT Desk. The former American great and the 1999 French Open champion pointed out the preparation of Sinner as a key cause for his body shutting down at the two-hour mark, while being one game away from victory.

“But to go from him playing five-and-a-half hours last year in the finals and then having the heat tap him out in an hour and 45, there’s a difference between being fit and being prepared,” Agassi explained while talking on the TNT desk.“I have to point at a flaw in that kind of preparation because there’s something you can do about that”.

Agassi talked about maintaining a proper hydration routine before playing in hot, humid conditions, recalling his playing days when he had a high water intake before going out in demanding conditions and maintained an appropriate ratio of carbs and protein. Being the World No.1, it can only be assumed that Sinner has the financial resources to hire all the necessary help he can get and rectify the recurring problem to get back to winning ways.

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