Jannik Sinner looked like he was heading home from the 2025 Australian Open. His whole body was cramping up, and he could barely hold his racket.
But sometimes tennis throws you a lifeline when you need it most.
Sinner faced Eliot Spizzirri in the third round, and on paper it should’ve been easy. The two-time Australian Open champion was playing the world No. 85.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jannik Sinner | 24 | 15,405 | 33 - 3 |
What could go wrong?
Pretty much everything, it turned out. Spizzirri took the first set 6-4, then broke Sinner’s serve early in the second. Even Sinner’s biggest fans started getting nervous.
The Italian fought back to win that second set 6-3. But his real problems were just beginning.
When Your Body Gives Up
The cramps started hitting Sinner at the beginning of the third set. First his legs, then his arms.
For a tennis player, that’s basically game over.
"He could barely walk," one observer noted. His serves looked like a weekend warrior trying to hit balls for the first time. Down 1-2 and serving, it seemed like the second seed might just pack it in.
He lost that service game and fell behind 1-3.
The culprit? Melbourne’s brutal heat was cooking everyone on court. The same heat that was destroying Sinner’s chances was about to become his savior.
The Heat Rule Saves the Day
The Australian Open uses something called a heat index scale. When it hits level 5, they stop all matches around Melbourne Park.
That’s exactly what happened when Sinner was down 1-3.
The roof at Rod Laver Arena closed, giving Sinner precious minutes to recover. They cranked up the air conditioning, making conditions way more bearable.
What happened next was pretty amazing. Sinner somehow won the third set 6-4. The heat rule kicked in again, giving both players a 10-minute break.
Sinner won the match in four sets: 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
Fans were dying to know what magical treatment Sinner got during those breaks. The answer might surprise you.
Nothing Special
"Yeah, I mean, it was hot today. Started to cramp a little bit in the third set, which then after by time it went slowly away. I know my body slightly better now with a bit of experience also, you know, trying to handle certain situations a bit better. Yeah, got lucky today."
No secret formula. No miracle cure.
"Yeah, nothing. I was alone. There was no treatment. You cannot have treatment in that time. So I was stretching. I laid down for five minutes, trying to loosen up the muscles. It worked really well. Trying to get the body temperature a bit more down. That’s it. There are not many things you can do. Time passed quite fast, but it helped me, for sure."
Just stretching and lying down. Sometimes the simplest things work best.
Running Out of Luck?
This isn’t the first time Sinner’s been saved by circumstances beyond his control. He had a similar situation against Holger Rune last year.
So naturally, someone had to ask: is he going to run out of luck eventually?
"This I don’t know. I believe that I’m someone who tries to put tennis in the highest priority. And I know that I’m doing that for years now. In the back of my mind I know how much I work. I feel well prepared even if some problems could happen potentially on the court. Of course there are going to be days when you don’t find a way. It’s not that everything is going your way."
Sinner’s philosophy is pretty straightforward. Work hard, stay positive, and good things tend to happen.
"But with a positive mindset, for sure, more positive things can happen. If you’re on the court thinking in a negative way, most likely more negative things can come towards you. I try to stay calm even in a moment like this. If he keeps playing the way he was playing and maybe I was dropping a little bit, maybe my tournament was over today. I don’t know. Honestly I think that’s it."
What’s Next
The easy part of the tournament is over. Only seeded players remain in the draw now.
Up next for Sinner? Fellow Italian Luciano Darderi in the fourth round.
He’ll need to bring his A-game. And hopefully, the weather will cooperate this time.
