"Everyone that beats Novak Djokovic ends up having to retire" - Fans react to Jannik Sinner not wanting to "throw away 3 years of career" after injury

Tennis fans on social media have reacted to Jannik Sinner's recent comments regarding his reluctance to let go of three years of his career following his latest injury.

Sinner has had an outstanding season so far, claiming title victories at the 2024 Australian Open, ABN AMRO Open, and the Miami Open. However, his streak of good performances was interrupted during the 2024 Madrid Open. He withdrew from the tournament just before his quarterfinal match against Felix Auger-Aliassime due to a hip injury.

The World No. 2 then announced his decision to also withdraw from the upcoming Italian Open due to an injury. During a press conference in Rome ahead of the tournament, Jannik Sinner chose not to disclose the specifics of his injury but assured that he and his team were managing the situation.

He stated that he would only return to play when fully fit, as he does not want to jeopardize the hard work he had put in over the past three years.

"I don't want to say what exactly the problem is, but we definitely have everything under control. If it can't be cured 100% I will stop, because I don't want to throw away three years of my career. Taking care of the body is more important than everything else," Sinner said (translated from Italian).

These remarks from the Italian sparked reactions from tennis fans, who took to Reddit to share their opinions on the same.

One fan jokingly mentioned that they are noticing a trend where players who defeat Novak Djokovic tend to retire or withdraw from matches. The fan cited Hyeon Chung's withdrawal from the 2018 Australian Open semifinal after defeating Djokovic in the fourth round.

"Everyone that beats [Novak] Djokovic ends up having to retire. They must give their bodies unfortunately. See Chung," the fan posted on Reddit.

Comment byu/jovanmilic97 from discussion intennis

Another fan expressed hope for Sinner's speedy recovery.

"Terrible. Godspeed on his recovery. Hopefully he's not out for long," a fan posted.

A third fan pointed out that Novak Djokovic is able to play so brilliantly even at his age while players younger than him like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are getting injured. They believe this is because the Serb has an effortless playing style.

"[Carlos] Alcaraz puts so much pressure on his body, can’t yet talk about Sinner. Meanwhile Novak’s effortless and efficiency 'basic' strokes do the rest. Just like his serve. That’s a big reason why he’s able to keep his level at this age," a fan wrote.

"Good call, no need to be greedy with his points and the year he's had so far," a fan posted.

Comment byu/jovanmilic97 from discussion intennis

Many fans believed that Jannik Sinner's decision to prioritize his health and withdraw from tournaments to recover was wise, considering the upcoming grass-court swing. Other fans speculated whether Sinner will also withdraw from 2024 Roland Garros.

"Grass season is much more important for sinner anyway," a fan posted.

"Luckily he’s defending like no points at RG," a fan wrote.

"He’ll probably skip RG as well, he needs to recover completely before putting his body back into the field," a fan posted.

Comment byu/jovanmilic97 from discussion intennis

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Jannik Sinner on not playing Italian Open 2024: "A tough one to swallow"

Jannik Sinner

Speaking at the aforementioned press conference ahead of the 2024 Italian Open, Jannik Sinner expressed his disappointment at not being able to participate in his home tournament. He stated that missing the Italian Open was a "tough pill" to swallow.

However, he emphasized that he will be supporting his compatriots who will be competing in Rome.

"It's a tough call for me to not play here but I have to take care of my body firstly. It’s one of if not the most special tournament. It’s a tough one to swallow, but I'm happy that there are so many other Italians playing, a big amount of players and they will have a great support. I'll be rooting for them from the television and I wish them all the best,” Jannik Sinner said [via ATPTour.com].

Sinner also stated that he is hoping that he will be fully fit for the competing at Roland Garros and the Wimbledon Championships.

“I’ll just try to get back to 100 per cent as soon as possible, hopefully trying to play in Paris and then Wimbledon and all the rest. We'll take our time, there's no rush and hopefully I can get back very, very soon,” he added.