Sports
Sachin Tendulkar explains Jannik Sinner’s French Open nightmare with one brutal truth: ‘A unique helplessness in sport’
Sachin Tendulkar pointed out the ‘unique helplessness’ in Jannik Sinner’s performance, after the Italian crashed out of the French Open. Sinner fell to a defeat against Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round, losing 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1. Sinner struggled with dizziness due to the extreme heat wave, and also wasted two chances to serve for the match.
The result also saw Sinner’s 30-match winning run come to an end. Taking to X, Sachin tried to explain to fans that Sinner’s body and mind weren’t working together, labelling it as ‘unique helplessness’.
Also Read: Jannik Sinner crashes out of French Open, 30-match winning streak ends at hands of Juan Manuel Cerundolo in Paris heat
‘Unique helplessness’: Sachin Tendulkar
“There’s a unique helplessness in sport when the mind wants to push forward, but the body has other plans. Felt for Jannik Sinner today because these moments can be deeply painful. Remember, the true measure of a champion is always in the comeback”, he wrote.
“But this is also why sport remains so unpredictable and special. Full credit to Juan Manuel Cerundolo for staying composed, believing till the very end, and making the most of his opportunity,” he added.
Sinner will now need to wait longer for a career Grand Slam. He has never won the French Open. The Italian bent over on the clay court in exhaustion multiple times, and after a point, he didn’t make any attempt to run for shots, resorting to drop shots and serve-and-volley tactics to try to shorten the points.
He also tried to cool himself with a hand-held fan during changeovers and also put bags of ice around his neck. When the match began, the temperature was 29 degrees Celsius, and it rose to 32 degrees.
Speaking after the match, Cerundolo said, “It’s tough for him. I couldn’t win more than three sets. So I think I was a little bit lucky. … He was deserving to win in this match. But then I don’t know what happened. … I feel sorry for him and hope he recovers.”
In the third set, Sinner was serving for the match at 5-4, 0-40, when he walked to his chair and asked for assistance. After losing the set 7-5, he received medical attention and left the court.
After the match, Sinner said, “I didn’t feel very well on court. I struggled, starting to feel very dizzy, very low on energy. … In the beginning, I was hitting very clean, very good, and then I just kind of hit the wall.”
“I didn’t have energy, really. I was very, very flat. The whole body. I don’t remember last time I felt this weak,” he added.