Tennis legend: 'Sinner in crisis? Are you kidding me!'

Two defeats at the Australian Open and Qatar Open caused some fans to doubt Jannik Sinner's form, yet the former Roland Garros champion does not share that view.

Jannik Sinner's back-to-back losses early in the season have sparked considerable doubts about the Italian player's performance. The defeat against Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semifinal ended his two-year reign at this tournament — where Sinner claimed his first Grand Slam title in 2024. A few weeks later, he was again defeated by Jakub Mensik in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open after three sets.

However, Italian tennis legend Adriano Panatta does not see this as a sign of crisis. The 1976 Roland Garros champion openly rejected the pessimistic views in an interview with Rai Sport.

"Sinner in crisis? Who says that? Are you joking? He lost two matches, one to Djokovic — a legend of the sport — and one to a 20-year-old ranked 16th in the world.", Panatta emphasized. According to him, many underestimated Mensik simply because he is a new name, while in reality, he is a highly talented and rapidly improving opponent.

The 76-year-old legend also called for a more objective assessment of his fellow countryman. He pointed out that in the 2024 and 2025 seasons, Sinner maintained remarkable consistency, losing only six matches each year. In 2025 alone, he reached the finals in 10 out of 12 tournaments he entered — a record that clearly demonstrates top-tier quality.

According to the former world No. 4, the upcoming period is the real test with ATP 1000 events at Indian Wells and Miami, before entering the European clay season culminating in Roland Garros. "Everything is just beginning now.", he asserted.