Jannik Sinner relegated after suffering huge Australian Open fitness scare | Tennis | Sport

The Italian will now contest his fourth-round match against countryman Luciano Darderi on Margaret Court Arena on Monday, which holds around 7,500 spectators. MCA is the second showcourt on the Australian Open grounds, but it is actually the third-biggest behind Rod Laver Arena and John Cain Arena.

Sinner has not played a match on Margaret Court Arena since before he lifted the trophy here. On his way to the title in 2024, the world No. 2 contested his second, third and fourth-round matches on the smaller arena court.

But the decision to put Sinner on Margaret Court Arena could be related to his issues with the heat. The 24-year-old has often struggled in brutal conditions. He started visibly shaking during a fourth-round clash with Holger Rune here last year, and retired at the Shanghai Masters in October on a brutally hot and humid day,

Temperatures in Melbourne are expected to reach around 34 degrees Celsius on Monday, cooler than the highs of 38C seen when Sinner played on Saturday. Sinner is also in the bottom half of the draw, along with 10-time champion Novak Djokovic, and it’s Djokovic who has been given the night session slot on Rod Laver Arena – the biggest showcourt.

If Sinner wanted to play on Rod Laver Arena, he likely would have had to take the second day session slot in the heat of the afternoon. Instead, No. 5 seed Lorenzo Musetti will face ninth seed Taylor Fritz at that time, and Sinner is scheduled not before 6pm local time on Margaret Court Arena.

The four-time Major winner addressed his issues in the heat after cramping against Spizzirri on Saturday and said: “For sure it’s an area where I would love to improve. There is a reason why I go to the gym every day, trying to get better.

“But in the same time, you know, every player has his own small problems. Maybe this is mine. You don’t know. But for sure there is room to improve, which I’m quite sure we will do everything possible to improve in a positive way. Then we see how it goes.”

Sinner will face a fellow Italian, the No. 22 seed Darderi, in his next match – and he’s just glad that one of their own will make it to the quarter-finals. “Obviously next match, let’s see what’s coming,” he added.

“[We] practised only once, so it’s not a lot. But very happy, you know, to have at least one Italian for sure in the quarters. Again, in a Grand Slam, it’s great.”