"One of the most professional players on the tour": Patrick Mouratoglou backs Jannik Sinner to come back stronger on Asian Tour in 2026

Famous tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou believes that Italy’s Jannik Sinner will come in more prepared for the Asian tour next year after having fitness issues during the ongoing Shanghai Masters. The ATP 1000 event is moving towards the business end, where a new champion will be crowned.

The reason is that defending champion Sinner was forced to retire from the competition in the third-round match against the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor. In the third set, in hot, humid conditions, Sinner started feeling so many cramps that he could hardly walk to the court, leading him to leave midway through.

Sinner, who is regarded as one of the best players in the world in men’s tennis in the singles category, was the top seed coming into the ATP 1000 event because the reigning world number one, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, decided to withdraw from the competition to regain full fitness after suffering a minor injury during his title-winning campaign at the Japan Open.

The tournament was a great opportunity for Sinner, who was also the defending champion, to close the gap on Alcaraz in the ATP rankings, where the two are engaged in a feisty battle. Sinner lost the top spot in the ATP rankings recently after losing the final of the US Open to Alcaraz, where the Spaniard came out on top with a score of 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

It was the second time this year that Sinner was retired from a match. Earlier, in the final of the Cincinnati Open, just before the US Open, Sinner retired because of illness. In that contest, he did not manage to last a single set. Sinner faced some criticism from a section of fans, especially on social media, for his decision to retire from the match due to severe cramping.

Famous tennis coach Mouratoglou, while speaking on his Instagram account, has come out in defence of Sinner. Mouratoglou, who recently worked with the former world number one Naomi Osaka, lambasted those people who questioned Sinner’s commitment towards the sport after he decided to retire from the third-round match in the competition because of fitness issues. Mouratoglou termed those critics a ‘joke’ and stated that Sinner remains one of the ‘most professional and committed players’ on the tour.

"The real question about the Asian tour is: which player didn't suffer from cramps during their match? And the answer is: those who are still in the competition (except for Medvedev who had cramps but still won). Some people insinuated that Sinner pretended to cut his tournament short... That's a joke,” said Mouratoglou. “He's one of the most serious, professional, and committed players on the tour. If he steps onto the court, it's to win. But when you see someone like him barely able to walk at the end of the match and forced to withdraw, you immediately wonder how that's possible.”

Mouratoglou then highlighted the challenge of playing in harsh conditions and stated that the weather can often become the most ‘formidable’ opponent for players. Mouratoglou highlighted that Sinner was not the only player to face challenges in such conditions, as America’s Taylor Fritz and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic had experienced something similar. Mouratoglou also suggested that next year, Sinner’s coaching staff will give him all the required electrolytes and hydration to avoid any such circumstances in 2026 to ensure that the former world number one will not face any such problem on the Asian tour.

“Often, one of tennis' most formidable opponents is underestimated: the weather, and here specifically the humidity,” said Mouratoglou. “It can test even the strongest athletes. In Shanghai, Jannik's body gave out. And he wasn't alone: Fritz had similar problems, and even Djokovic vomited twice during his match. For Jannik, it's not about physical fitness or effort. It's about learning to anticipate. Next time, his team will prepare him differently: more hydration before the match, more electrolytes, better management of bodily reserves."