Wimbledon Times of India: Jannik Sinner came to Wimbledon with little chance.After his dramatic collapse on the threshold of victory in the French Open second round and then melting in the heat, the 24-year-old underwent a series of tests to find out what his body had been trying to tell him. He responded by training longer under testing conditions and resisting the temptation to crowd his schedule with games.Still, with temperatures expected to climb above 30°C in the second week of the tournament, that episode – in which Sinner appeared to be in complete control against Juan Manuel Cerundolo, leading 6-3, 6-2, 5-1, but then saw his energy levels drop alarmingly – has once again raised lingering questions.Former Davis Cupper and commentator Prahlad Srinath pointed to the early days of Sinner’s season, during which he won a historic five consecutive Masters titles between March and May.“Towards the end of the first round in Paris, he was already looking at his box with emotion. He looked shaky and exhausted,” Srinath said.Sinner begins his title defense against Miomir Kekmanović in south-west London on Monday, with pleasant skies and temperatures not expected to exceed 24°C, and he should have no difficulty teeing off. However, games and practices are different things.“In practice, you might hit 500 balls, but it’s a structured, predictable drill,” explains Srinath, now a coach. “You can predict and control the movement. Then, if a guy is tired, we manage load, intensity and volume. But in a game, your shots are explosive, whether it’s five or 500. It requires maximum effort.”Sinner himself admits there is a gap between training and competition. “Of course you can’t simulate 100% how you feel during the game. We made some changes[after Paris]I wouldn’t say big ones. I believe in the details. We are happy with what we are doing at the moment, but we won’t see the results here. It’s a long process and there is nothing magical about it.”Yash Pandey, Indian high-performance sports physiotherapist davis cup Team, agreed.The Italian has never won a match that lasted longer than three hours and 50 minutes and holds a 6-12 record in five sets, but he will have to take the scenic route if he wants to get deep into the match.“It will be a process for him,” Pandey said, adding that despite the Italians’ concerns, he remained the favorite. “He also knows that the only reason he’s losing is because of his health. I can’t see anyone else right now unless someone is really strong one day. That could happen, but Sinner is the player to beat.”The conversation surrounding No. 1 and its fragility didn’t end with Sinner. Aryna Sabalenka’s shocking fall from her winning position in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros showed that even the most physical of tennis players can be closer to the edge than they appear, even when in complete control of a match. Sinner’s issues appear to be physical, while Sabalenka’s appear to be more mental.The 28-year-old revealed that after Roland Garros she spoke again with a psychologist she had previously worked with and felt it was the right step at this stage of her season.“I felt like I needed someone to put all my thoughts aside and clear my head before a big game,” she said. “I have my team and we talk a lot. Sometimes you come across things that you don’t want to throw to the team. It’s really important to have someone you can talk to and make you feel safe.”
