Last year, Jannik Sinner’s season was nothing short of spectacular. He bagged eight titles, two of them Grand Slams, and ended as World No. 1. No small feat. This year has started just as strong. He defended his Australian Open crown and lifted his first Wimbledon title. In Cincinnati, he came close to defending his crown but health wasn’t on his side. Still, the World No.1 kept his chin up. New York is the next stop, and he isn’t backing down. But at the US Open, he faces an obstacle he may not be able to control.

On August 18, Sinner faced Carlos Alcaraz in the Cincinnati final. The match lasted only 23 minutes. Down 0-5 and clearly struggling, the Italian stopped. He called it quits, handing Alcaraz his first Cincinnati Masters title. Afterward, Sinner admitted, “US Open is going to be tough tournament, but in the same time, I’m looking forward to it. If I’m ready, physically and mentally, I’m, I will be ready to push.” But smooth sailing? That’s in doubt.

Health expert Steven Buchwald, of Manhattan Mental Health, told Express Sport, “Athlete withdrawals often signal a combination of physical and psychological stress.” For Sinner, it raised alarms. Quitting wasn’t something he had done all week despite battling tough matches. “In Sinner’s case, subtle body language cues like slowed footwork, shallow breathing, head tilts, and brief pauses between points may have indicated his body was under strain.”

That Cincinnati final was their fourth clash of the season. Each one had come in a tour-level final. It was also their first meeting since Wimbledon in July. On this day, Jannik Sinner looked out of rhythm from the very first point. He dropped the opening seven and called for a medical timeout after being broken for the third time. Exhausted, he told the umpire, “I feel like I can collapse at any moment.” Then, turning to the crowd, he said, “I’m sorry, guys, I can’t.”

Sinner’s fortnight in Ohio was a grind. He wasn’t just fighting rivals but also his own body. Concerns had shown up in his R32 match against Gabriel Diallo, where his serve wavered. Rain delays stretched his duel with Adrian Mannarino. In the semifinals, qualifier Terence Atmane pushed him to the edge. Yet, he kept rolling, not dropping a single set. Until Monday, when Alcaraz was poised to change that.

Now, the big question: can he recover in time for New York? Buchwald doesn’t sound too optimistic. “Psychological stress can amplify fatigue, affecting coordination and decision-making. Recovery timelines for acute illness vary. Mild viral infections may resolve in three to five days, while more serious illnesses may take one to two weeks or longer,” he explained.

With this withdrawal, the Italian’s hard-court dominance also took a hit, ending his 26-match streak. He even pulled out of the US Open mixed doubles on Tuesday, where he was set to debut with Katerina Siniakova. Given his health, the decision wasn’t surprising. But heading into the singles draw, it’s a troubling sign. Not to mention, Jannik has been vocal about the stress of the competition.

Jannik Sinner gets real on the toll of lengthy Masters format

After his semifinal win at the Cincinnati Open, Sinner sat down for his press conference, and the topic quickly shifted to the unusual Monday final. When asked about the schedule change, he didn’t waste words. “It’s a question that’s quite irrelevant now to answer, you know, because we are in that position,” he said. Plain. Direct. But what came next revealed exactly how he felt. “My personal view: I love the one-week events, you know,” he added.

That rhythm, however, has been disrupted. The Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open both stretched to 12 days this year, breaking the old Monday-to-Sunday flow. Toronto’s final landed on a Thursday. Cincinnati’s was set for a Monday. The new format looks unfamiliar and, for many players, exhausting.

Organizers say it opens doors for lower-ranked hopefuls, but the sport’s biggest names aren’t exactly cheering. Jannik Sinner pointed straight to Monte Carlo as the model for how these tournaments should be run. He said, “The tournament in Monaco, for example, you have for Monte Carlo you have this one-week event and you have the first-round matches that are incredibly good, you know. And if some good seeded player loses, the next match, it’s an incredible match still, you know.”

His words painted the picture of a tour where the rhythm mattered and the action never dragged. And Sinner isn’t the only one saying it aloud. Taylor Fritz, Carlos Alcaraz, and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina have joined in, calling the calendar hectic and draining.

The debate will continue to simmer, but for now, all eyes are on the Italian. Can the World No.1, after a turbulent Cincinnati, march into Arthur Ashe Stadium and step up to defend his US Open title?