Jannik Sinner has reportedly withdrawn from the Paris Masters 2023 as rumors have spread on social media about the player’s decision being taken along with his team management on Thursday morning. Sinner had only 15 hours to rest and recover before playing his next match after defeating Mackenzie McDonald in the Paris Masters. Ironically, his contemporary Casper Ruud slammed the tournament organisers for the Italian’s messy situation on Wednesday.
Sinner’s Round of 32 match against McDonald lasted until about 2:45 AM local time (9:45 PM EST on Wednesday). The American won the first set, but the fourth seed mounted a comeback to win the next two. Sinner won 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-1 as the clash lasted for two hours and 16 minutes. He was scheduled to face Alex de Minaur on Thursday itself, at approximately 5:00 PM local time (12 PM EST).
Surprisingly, despite his late finish, he was slotted in the fourth fixture of the morning/noon session. Ruud, who crashed out in the Round of 32, criticised the Paris Masters organisation team for an ill-prepared schedule. He sarcastically applauded the ATP Tour, lashing at the time-table and calling it a ‘joke’. Labelling Sinner as one of the best players, he said the Italian had less than 15 hours to recover and be ready after his match finished past 2:30 AM.
Sinner had already summed up the debacle by saying he is unsure whether he will continue in the tournament. Keeping the risk of injury and fatigue because of the short rest period in mind, the World No.4 said he will play the Round of 16 clash depending on how he feels on matchday (via Sportal). Not only is it a great loss for the Paris Masters, but extremely shameful that a top player has pulled out midway because of poor scheduling.
Jannik Sinner is not the first victim of poorly managed schedules
This is not the first time that the issue of schedule mismanagement has cropped up on tour. Names like Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic have blasted matches running late into the night. Recently, the North American swing was plagued by players complaining about the chaotic planning of matches. Many fixtures in the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Masters played on well past midnight.
The problem, however, appears to be more severe on the WTA side. Some matches in the Canada Open went on until 3:00 a.m. and many players spoke up, advocating for better schedules. Elina Rybakina, whose fixture finished three hours past midnight, called the organisers ‘unprofessional.
Iga Swiatek back her peer, calling for no late-night games on any tournament’s schedules. Later, Aryna Sabalenka slammed the Cincinnati Open management for not allowing her enough rest between two games. She, too, played two consecutive matches with less than an 18-hour gap because Carlos Alcaraz was handed a more favourable evening slot.
With players already complaining about the season calendar being packed, the least the WTA and the ATP can do is ensure all tournaments flow smoothly. The governing associations need to look out for their players and not have them put their bodies on the line. Playing matches with such small rest periods between them can have adverse effects and lead to injuries, shortening players’ careers.
