"Another Rafael Nadal in making, I lose only when I'm sick" - Fans angered by Jannik Sinner's 'petty excuses' for Wimbledon QF loss to Daniil Medvedev

Tennis fans have not taken kindly to Jannik Sinner's explanation for his defeat to Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. Many fans argued that the World No. 1's discussion of his illness issues was simply an attempt to make excuses for his loss.

Medvedev snapped his five-match losing streak against Sinner in remarkable fashion, battling past the World No. 1 to claim a hard-fought 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-3 victory in four hours, booking his place in the semifinals of the grasscourt Major.

Despite a strong start, the Italian appeared to be struggling physically during the contest, as he called for a medical timeout in the third set after complaining of dizziness. Although the 22-year-old bounced back to claim the fourth set, he couldn't maintain his momentum to pull off the win.

In his post-match press conference, Jannik Sinner revealed that he had been feeling unwell since the morning of the match, citing illness issues and fatigue. While he credited Medvedev for playing "smart" tennis, the Italian admitted that he was "struggling" physically during the closely contested battle.

"This morning I already didn’t feel great. I had some problems and then with the fatigue. It was tough. Nothing to take away from Daniil. I think he played very smart, good tennis. That’s it. I went off the court. I actually didn’t want to go off," Jannik Sinner said.

"The physio told me it was better to take some time because he watched me and I didn’t seem in shape to play. I was struggling physically. It wasn’t an easy moment. I tried to fight with what I had today. That’s it," he added.

Tennis fans, however, were not impressed by Sinner's statement, with many of them arguing that the World No. 1 has a tendency to make "excuses" when he loses. One fan suggested that the 22-year-old isn't a gracious loser, drawing an unfavorable comparison to Rafael Nadal.

"Another Rafa in the making. I lose only when i am sick not because the opponent outplayed me. Thats ATP number 1 guys!!!!" one fan commented.

"Excuses, bro if you aren't feeling well you retire simple...even Djokovic retired his quarter final match in Roland Garros stop being petty," another fan chimed in.

"Learn how to lose. Every time the same. Both losses vs Carlos he was “injured” as well," said another.

"He always says he wasn't feeling well when he loses.. this is becoming an excuse! Meddy did great! good job Daniil!" a fan shared.

Others, meanwhile, contended that despite his attempt to acknowledge Daniil Medvedev's well-earned victory, Jannik Sinner's statement only served to detract from the World No. 5's triumph.

"He’s literally trying to take everything away from Medvedev with this statement," one fan posted.

"Damn. He didn't need to say all that. Meddy was the better player and deserved the win. End of story," another fan wrote.

"You can’t both complain about injury and say "Nothing to take away from Daniil,"" said yet another.

"I was quite dizzy, when I went back I tried my best" - Jannik Sinner laments missed opportunities in Wimbledon QF loss to Daniil Medvedev

Jannik Sinner (Source: Getty)

Jannik Sinner further shed light on his medical timeout, disclosing that he had a "toughest" time after leaving the court due to his severe dizziness. Emphasizing that he had attempted to deliver his best effort upon his return, the Italian lamented his missed opportunities to clinch the third set.

Although the 22-year-old expressed satisfaction with his comeback in the fourth set to force a decider, he rued the one "poor" service game in the fifth set that sealed his loss.

"Yeah, I wasn’t feeling great. I didn’t vomit. But I took some time because I was quite dizzy. Off court I had the toughest time maybe. When I went back I tried my best," Jannik Sinner said in the same press conference.

"Obviously disappointed about the third set. I had a couple set points and couldn’t use them. Fourth set I raised my level a bit. In the fifth I had one poor service game which decided the match," he added.

Following his win over Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev will take on third seed and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a blockbuster semifinal clash. Alcaraz defeated Tommy Paul 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 to book his place against the World No. 5.