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Jannik Sinner suffered a thigh injury during his first-round win against Great Britain's Dan Evans at the 2023 China Open. Evans, however, seemed largely unsympathetic towards his younger opponent's physical niggles, which has irked a large section of the tennis community.
Sinner, who hadn't played since the US Open in early September, looked set to win his Beijing opener in straight sets on Friday (September 29), as he led Evans 6-4, 5-3. However, a lapse of focus from the 22-year-old allowed his older opponent to take the second-set tiebreaker and prolong the match.
In the deciding set, Sinner was quick to take a 3-0 lead but suffered a rather nasty fall after one point. The young Italian proceeded to clutch his right thigh in pain.
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Evans, at that stage, seemingly mocked the World No. 7 by grabbing his thigh during a changeover.
Jannik Sinner was able to regroup and win the match 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-3, but Dan Evans' gesture didn't go unnoticed. One fan went so far as to claim that such unfriendly actions were a common theme on the ATP tour.
They wrote:
"These ATP men have zero shame, someone please escort him out of the court."
Another fan alluded to how Evans was banned from playing professional tennis due to testing positive for cocaine in 2017. They further claimed that British players are often let off scot-free despite their questionable attitude.
"Remember when he was banned for taking an illegal substance then quietly got back on the scene again months later? Arrogant Brits always get their way in this sport. His attitude just gets worse bc he feels untouchable," the fan wrote.
Here are a few more reactions from the tennis community on social media:
Jannik Sinner has had a tough time with his physical conditioning in 2023
Jannik Sinner has had a career-best season in 2023, with a 45-13 win-loss record and a maiden ATP Masters 1000 triumph in Toronto to boot. Having said that, the Italian's physical conditioning has still left a lot to be desired.
Sinner's endurance issues in 2023 first came to the fore during his Rotterdam final outing against Daniil Medvedev in February. After winning the opening set 7-5 in over an hour, the Italian's legs gave in as he surrendered the next two sets 2-6, 2-6. He subsequently withdrew from the 2023 Marseille Open due to exhaustion.
Sinner then had a good clay-court season but was bundled out in five sets by Germany's Daniel Altmaier in the second round of Roland Garros. Even during that match, the Italian struggled physically after getting to within touching distance of the finish line.
Jannik Sinner suffered yet another five-set defeat at the 2023 US Open, this time at the hands of Alexander Zverev. The Italian was visibly exhausted after his encounter with the former World No. 3.
The following week, he withdrew from Italy's Davis Cup Finals campaign.
