Scandal in Paris-Bercy: Sinner stands up after being summoned at 5:00 p.m. when he finished playing almost at 3 in the morning

The Paris Masters 1000 has suffered a significant drop, although it cannot be said that the protagonist of it had not warned: Jannik Sinner leaves the tournament after refusing to rest as little as the organization required of him. The Italian tennis player, number four in the world, finished his second round match against the American Mackenzie McDonald at 02:34 this Thursday morning (6-7 victory [6], 7-5, 6-1) and, if he wanted to continue in competition, he had to face the Australian Álex de Miñaur starting at 5:00 p.m. Having so little room for recovery, he opted to withdraw.

Sinner began to contemplate that scenario as soon as he finished his first game on French soil. “It's very late, I'll try to sleep and recover to see how I feel tomorrow. We'll see how I am […] Honestly, I don't know if I will play in the round of 16,” he acknowledged in his statements after the crash. A few hours after his hypothetical return to the slopes in Paris-Bercy, he made official what many feared.

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“I regret to announce that I am withdrawing from today's match at Bercy. I finished the game when it was almost 3 in the morning and didn't go to bed until a few hours later. I had less than 12 hours to rest and prepare for the next game", explained the one from San Candido in X. "I have to make the right decision for my health and my body. The coming weeks with the ATP Finals at home and the Davis Cup will be very important, now I am focusing on preparing for these important events. See you in Turin! “Strength!” Sinner declared.

His team had already shown considerable anger. “Happy for Jannik Sinner's victory, but zero concern for player well-being with Paris schedule”, posted the transalpine coach, Darren Cahill, on Instagram. Even other prominent members of the men's circuit, such as the Norwegian Casper Ruudthey showed solidarity with their partner. “14 and a half hours to recover. What a joke”concluded a tweet written, regarding the controversy, by the eighth ranked player in the ranking.

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That Sinner had to sacrifice his participation in the hard court event in the French capital is due to the large concentration of matches on the two main courts of Paris-Bercy. Above all, in the center. The facilities that this Masters 1000 has are small and the order of play ends up extending to untimely hours. Which is already leading to considering moving to a larger venue.

Finishing at almost 03:00 and doing the entire post-match routine meant that Sinner didn't go to sleep until well into the early hours of the morning. Getting up at 10 and having to return to action in the afternoon was not at all appropriate for his health, which is what he has ended up prioritizing. However, being erased due to force majeure cuts off a particularly good moment for him: He came from being champion in Beijing and Vienna in the last weeks.