Jannik Sinner is heading into the Rolex Shanghai Masters determined to defend his title, but fans have been asking: has he fully recovered after a busy few weeks? The Italian star has had a rollercoaster since the US Open final, where he fell to Carlos Alcaraz and lost the world No. 1 ranking. Three weeks later, he returned to claim his second China Open (ATP 500) title in Beijing. But behind the wins, another question lingered: how was his health holding up after such a hectic schedule?

Behind the wins, Sinner has faced a health scare. After his thrilling China Open victory, he revealed, “I had diarrhoea for the past few days and lost some fluid, but I feel fine. I also had a bit of tension. The mix of tension and the past few days wasn’t easy, but yes, I feel fine. I’m not worried about tomorrow. Everything is fine.”

That’s sportsmanship in action despite not feeling his best physically, Sinner’s focus remained unwavering. Still, the real test awaited just a day later: could he arrive in Shanghai ready to take on one of the toughest draws of the season?

One day later, Sinner arrived in Shanghai, ready to defend his Rolex Shanghai Masters crown. But the question remained: is he prepared to defend his Rolex Shanghai Masters crown? On his condition, he said, “Yeah, I feel good. I said it before the final that I’m ready for the final, and so it was. Here, it’s different. It’s more humid, it’s hotter.”

He’s been drawn into the bottom half of the men’s singles draw, which includes big names like Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, and Ben Shelton. Sinner will start in the second round against Daniel Altmaier on October 3, 2025. Even so, Sinner seems calm and determined.

“I don’t know how it’s going to feel on court, but, you know, today I have one day where I can rest, and tomorrow I am going to have more feedback for my body and mind, and try to prepare for the first-round match, then we’ll see how it goes… You know, playing first-round matches is never easy, so let’s see what’s coming, and hopefully I can show some good tennis here,” said Sinner, ready to go all in.

With Carlos Alcaraz withdrawing due to an ankle injury, does this open up Sinner’s path, or will his health hold the key to how far he can go? We’ve seen Sinner withdraw from big matches, so fans can only hope he stays fit this time and doesn’t have to face the same setback again.

The human side of Jannik Sinner’s tennis battles

In August, Jannik Sinner had to withdraw from the Cincinnati ATP final while trailing 5‑0 against Carlos Alcaraz, citing a high fever that had struck him the day before. “Yesterday I didn’t feel very well. I thought I would improve overnight. It got worse. I tried to go out and play at least a short match, but I couldn’t go on. I’m very sorry for all of you,” he explained, admitting he lasted only 23 minutes on court.

He subsequently withdrew from the US Open mixed doubles event, much to the disappointment of his health rather than competition. Sinner’s health problems go deeper. During his quarter-final with Daniil Medvedev at Wimbledon 2024, he felt very dizzy and fatigued, had to have a medical break, and walked off the court with a physio.