There are mounting fears that Jannik Sinner might miss the French Open, and Ivan Ljubicic believes the hip injury he sustained in Madrid should "not be underestimated."
Sinner will not play at this year's Italian Open in Rome. Main draw action at the last ATP 1000 before Roland Garros begins on May 8th. The 22-year-old was expected to be the tournament's second seed and was relishing the chance to perform in front of his home fans.
But in a massive blow to the tournament organizers and the Italian faithful, Sinner was forced to take the precautionary decision to withdraw from the event due to a persistent hip injury, which surfaced while competing in Madrid and has worsened in recent days.
Ljubicic, Roger Federer's former coach, has warned Sinner and his legion of fans that the injury should be treated with utmost caution and wariness now that he is doubtful about playing Roland Garros.
Speaking to Sky Sport 24, the 45-year-old Croat is convinced that the surface change has had dire consequences not just on Sinner but also on Carlos Alcaraz, another big-name casualty from the Rome field because of a forearm injury.
"The change of surface from concrete to ground, where you slip, is a problem for those who have hip pain like Sinner, or the balls are heavier because they take moisture from the ground, putting more stress on the elbow and arm, as happened to Carlos Alcaraz."
"Players move more and more and hit harder and at a certain point the body tells them enough is enough. Jannik's problem is not serious, but important and not to be underestimated."
Additionally, Ljubicic noted that the players are taking a long-term view and are "more sensitive" to playing tournaments this year because of the Olympics. They will not ignore any signals they are receiving from their bodies.
"The Roland Garros is upon us, Wimbledon is around the corner and the Olympics immediately after. We saw how many withdrawals there were in Madrid, let's say that the players at this stage of the season are more sensitive than usual and attentive to what their body tells them."