Jannik Sinner recently addressed the question of whether tennis authorities should change the rule of scheduling so that players can only play one match in a day.
Sinner competed at the 2024 Canada Open in Montreal, where he was the defending champion. He was the top seed at the tournament, and the only player ranked inside the top three after Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz withdrew because of the Olympic Games.
The Italian was unsuccessful in retaining the title, losing to eventual finalist Andrey Rublev in three sets. Sinner appeared to be ailing throughout the match and was massaging his hip, indicating that he was not feeling at his best from a physical standpoint.
His coach, Darren Cahill, was visibly instructing him to call for the physio after the second set, but Sinner soldiered on and fought a losing battle as Rublev won the deciding set very comfortably.
Sinner believes his lack of game time after Wimbledon was the primary cause of his physical struggles in Montreal, not necessarily the recurrence of the same hip injury that curtailed his preparations for this year's clay-court swing and forced him to miss the Italian Open.
The World No. 1 made a late decision about his involvement at Roland Garros, where he played well to reach his first semifinal and lost to Alcaraz in five sets. Sinner's struggles during his Wimbledon quarterfinal defeat to Daniil Medvedev were related to illness, not his hip.
Additionally, Sinner played two matches on Saturday in Montreal, needing to win a last-16 contest against Alejandro Tabilo earlier during the day before facing Rublev. The double appearance within a span of a few hours was induced by rain.
When questioned during his post-match interview about the rule change, Sinner stated that there is no option regarding delays due to weather. In extreme circumstances, matches can be postponed or rescheduled, and players have to play twice or three times if called upon.
The 22-year-old stressed that schedule disruptions caused by rain are "for everyone" and that there is no advantage to that view. He also added that it's a good moment for the fans who can watch their favorite players on two occasions in a day.
"No, when there is no other possibility, I mean, you have to go. It's for everyone. It's also nice for spectators in one way because they see the players twice. So, it's okay, you just have to go through it, and that's it."
Sinner's defeat to Rublev did not affect his ranking. He will remain World No. 1 at least for the remainder of the month and will be the top seed in the final Grand Slam of the season. He is also in prime position to retain that spot after the US Open.
His next stop is the Cincinnati Open, which is running this week. Sinner could renew his generational rivalry with Alcaraz. The Spaniard is making his return to competition after clinching a silver medal for his country at the Paris Olympics.
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