Jannik Sinner was undoubtedly the huge favorite to win the Shanghai Masters 1000 for the second year in a row, especially after Carlos Alcaraz's decision to skip this tournament to recharge his batteries. The Italian ace who lifted the trophy in the penultimate Masters 1000 of the season by beating Novak Djokovic in the final a year ago had to succumb to cramps during his match against Tallon Griekspoor today.
Almost all the players have complained due to the brutal conditions in which this tournament is being played and the extreme humidity certainly does not help, as evidenced by the fact that there have already been several withdrawals in the first days of this edition.
Because of this premature elimination, Jannik's chances of returning to the top of the ATP rankings by the end of this year have almost disappeared. The 24-year-old from Sesto Pusteria must only think about recovering as quickly as possible and returning to action at the top of his shape, having as his main goal in the last part of the 2025 season to defend his title at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.
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Sinner is out
The four-time Grand Slam champion is expected to play the 'Six Kings Slam' in Saudi Arabia and the Vienna ATP 500, before moving to Paris for the last Masters 1000 of the year (which he did not participate in last season). The former world No.1 couldn't even walk at the end of today's match in Shanghai and needed the support of the physiotherapist.
He was too sore and the decision to retire was inevitable, with Griekspoor author of an excellent performance up to that point qualifying for the round of 16. The Dutch player had won the second set thanks to a huge effort and was unleashing one of the best performances of his season.
