Jannik Sinner could be the best tennis player ever.
That is, if the sun didn’t exist.
The World No.1 had a chance to take Grand Slams in Paris and London with rival Carlos Alcaraz facing injury. Instead, he was upset at Roland-Garros in the second round as the biggest betting favorite since Rafael Nadal.
And in the first round at Wimbledon, the Italian nearly lost again.
What did both matches have in common? The answer highlights Sinner’s greatest weakness.
Day matches could be Jannik Sinner’s downfall
Jannik Sinner’s most fearsome nemesis doesn’t carry a racket. It lives inside of him.
The Italian has a history battling cramps in hot temperatures. Just this year, he fell victim to them at the Australian Open, where he lost to Novak Djokovic. Then at the French Open it forced him out just as the tournament began.
Anyone with a couple years living on Earth can break this down. The sun is out during the day. The sun makes things hotter. Hotter temperatures means higher chance of cramping.
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Sinner is not the only elite player to struggle with cramps. Alcaraz fell victim at the 2023 French Open but found a way to solve that problem the following year.
The difference with Sinner is he hasn’t seemed to solve his greatest weakness.
What Sinner said about the temperature at Wimbledon
Sinner was interviewed after his grueling, five-set match in the first round at Wimbledon. Even though he struggled against 50th-ranked Miomir Kecmanovic, the Italian says it was just what he needed.
Jannik Sinner joined us after being tested in his first round match that went the 5-set distance. I appreciated his transparency.
“I was happy I went over 3 hours. It was good for me…. Today was not crazy warm but this is exactly the temp I like to play. We practiced a lot… pic.twitter.com/zkapzDf00U
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) June 29, 2026
He voiced confidence in the wake of almost being upset again at a Grand Slam.
The truth is, nobody knows Sinner’s body as well as he does. It’s up to him to make his cramps irrelevant.
But for anyone invested in tennis this is becoming a pattern. A pattern of hot temperatures, more cramping, and Sinner’s body betraying him when it matters most.
The Italian will have to find a way to solve this or simply pray for more night matches.
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