"Disgusting; it's all disgusting" - Fans furious over implication that Jannik Sinner's girlfriend Anna Kalinskaya was to blame for his Wimbledon loss

Jannik Sinner and his girlfriend Anna Kalinskaya recently crashed out of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. The Italian media targeted the couple following Sinner’s defeat, which infuriated the World No. 1’s local fans.

Sinner and Kalinskaya, who confirmed their relationship during the 2024 French Open, had a memorable grasscourt campaign. The couple simultaneously competed in their maiden finals on the surface -- Jannik Sinner emerged victorious in Halle, while Anna Kalinskaya fell short in her last hurdle in Berlin.

Both players continued their rich vein of form at Wimbledon, too, making it to the second week in their respective categories. Kalinskaya’s campaign, though, reached an abrupt conclusion with an injury retirement in the fourth round against Elena Rybakina. The following day, Sinner was knocked out by one of his biggest rivals, Daniil Medvedev, after a hard-fought five-set quarterfinal.

In his post-match press conference, Jannik Sinner recalled the hours leading up to his match, noting that he fell sick the day before and was dizzy during the match. The World No. 1 also called for a medical time-out in the third set, for which he received treatment off the court.

"It was just me that… I felt during the night a little bit like this (poorly). I couldn’t sleep the hours I wanted to, but these things can happen," he said.

According to Italian media outlet Corriere Della Sera, Jannik Sinner also said:

"Maybe something happened that we could have managed better."

The article then pointed out that Sinner, amid his pursuit of a maiden Wimbledon title, also attended all matches of his girlfriend, Kalinskaya.

"With hindsight, it is easy to say that Jannik could have avoided the hours spent during the tournament on the sidelines of his girlfriend, Anna Kalinskaya: in London, especially the first week of Wimbledon, it rains, it is cold, it is very humid," the article read (translated from Italian).

Several Italian tennis fans were miffed at the blame being shifted to the Russian tennis player.

"I wondered how much longer we would have to wait to read that Sinner's troubles were blamed on Anna Kalinskaya," one fan said on X (Translated by Google).

"You are slightly absurd. It took almost 5 hours of play. He tried everything to be able to win even if he was sick. This girlfriend thing is ridiculous. Shame on you," another fan said.

"In 2024 we see things like this where National newspapers attribute the #Sinner virus in some way to his relationship, lack of sleep and many other things... The press is one of the first things that should change in this country... Deep meh," yet another fan opined.

This is not the first time that Jannik Sinner’s decisions have been put under the microscope. The 22-year-old also faced backlash in 2023, when he opted out of the Davis Cup Group Stage, before ultimately leading his team to victory in the Finals.

"Disgusting. It's all disgusting. We are a country that deserves nothing. We only know how to make everything rot. #Sinner you are a great athlete and a great man," one fan said.

One fan also recalled how the Italian media targeted Matteo Berrettini and his ex-girlfriend Melissa Satta during their time together.

"What problems does the press have with the girlfriends of Italian tennis players? They've already had Berrettini separated from Satta because they accused her of being a power-draining witch, isn't that enough for them?" the fan questioned (Translated by Google).

"Shameful this time too, truly crazy," another fan said.

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Jannik Sinner and girlfriend Anna Kalinskaya to resume their campaigns in late July

Jannik Sinner pictured at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships (Image Source: Getty)

Following their respective campaigns at Wimbledon, Jannik Sinner and his girlfriend, Anna Kalinskaya, are reportedly spending some time off in Sardinia before they return to the courts.

Sinner was initially scheduled to compete at the ATP 250 in Bastad (July 15–21). He, however, withdrew from the claycourt event, citing fatigue after his Wimbledon loss. The World No. 1 will now resume his campaign at the 2024 Paris Olympics (July 27–August 4).

Anna Kalinskaya, meanwhile, has decided against returning to Stade Roland-Garros for the event. She will instead kick off her hardcourt campaign at the WTA 500 Citi Open. (July 29–August 4).