“An Anti Character”- Jannik Sinner Upsets Italian Media After Canadian Open Withdrawal

It’s not a surprise to see that Jannik Sinner has decided to take a break after his triumphant Wimbledon campaign. He had announced his withdrawal from the upcoming Canadian Open on July 24 to prioritize his health. But this decision has surprisingly left the Italian media enraged.

“A sportsman needs to be a character,” said Simone Eterno, a journalist at Eurosport Italia. “He is an anti-character; we need to realize that Sinner is like that. He has no intention of saying or doing anything.”

This isn’t the first time that Italian media has lashed out at Sinner for not participating in a particular tournament. Several media outlets had criticized him for withdrawing from the 2025 Davis Cup that took place in Bologna. He had decided to pull out of the event as it was scheduled just a few days after he had triumphed at the ATP Finals.

Having previously led the Italian team to Davis Cup triumphs in 2023 and 2024, Sinner faced intense backlash when details of his withdrawal were revealed.

“It annoys me so much that Sinner lives in Monte Carlo,” Giovanna Botteri said during a televised discussion via Tennis World USA. “What I always ask myself is: what do you do with €70 million a year? You buy yourself a house, okay, maybe a scooter, a car, two cars. Then you buy a house for your son. But after that? I mean, €70 million. These people have houses and things they do not even remember owning.”

“It annoys me a lot too,” Luca Sommi agreed. “But sometimes I ask myself the same question. You earn €70 million a year, but why don’t you do like Alcaraz, who has kept his tax residence in Spain? Is €70 million a year not enough?”

Now, a similar situation has arisen once again as the Italian media has been incensed by one of the World No.1’s decisions. But it won’t be wrong to say that he deserves a break before he begins his hard-court season.

Sinner has already had quite a grueling season. He has been a regular participant on the Tour since the Indian Wells Masters, which was held in March. He then played four tournaments during the clay swing, winning three of them. But the Italian’s body wasn’t able to handle the fatigue at the French Open.

The 24-year-old capitulated in his second-round clash against Juan Manuel Cerundolo. He suffered a variety of health issues during the match, and this led to him throwing away a two-set lead. Cerundolo capitalized on the opportunity and upset Sinner 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1.

This result saw Sinner take a break from the grass-court events that were scheduled before Wimbledon. Now he is once again taking a breather before beginning the hard-court swing. This is the second consecutive year that Sinner has decided to skip the Canadian Open. Hence, he won’t be losing any points in the rankings.

Sinner might be eyeing to commence his hard-court swing with the Cincinnati Masters, which will begin on August 13. The Italian had come awfully close to winning the event for the second time last year.

He had reached the final after defeating players like Felix Auger-Aliassime and Terence Atmane. Sinner met his rival, Carlos Alcaraz, in the final. But a severe viral illness saw him retire from the match after losing the first five games of the opening set.

Alcaraz is also expected to make his long-awaited return from injury at the Cincinnati Masters. So, if Sinner does participate in the tournament, the two may end up meeting for the second time this year.

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