Jannik Sinner has really been making waves at the Vienna Open this year. The world No. 2 kicked off his Vienna campaign with an impressive display, taking down Daniel Altmaier 6–0, 6–2 in just 58 minutes — marking his quickest win of 2025, as noted by the ATP. He kept up his impressive control in the next rounds, working his way past Flavio Cobolli in the round of 16.

In the quarterfinals, he kept his cool to get past Alexander Bublik, and then he managed to beat Alex de Minaur in straight sets (6–3, 6–4) in the semis, securing his place in the final. He made it to the final for the eighth time this season, which is something only Novak Djokovic has done in consecutive years before. Amid such a dominant run, whispers began to circulate about a recurring physical issue — cramping.

According to @Olly_Tennis_ on X, Jannik Sinner looked like he was really struggling with cramps. So, the score was at 3–6, 6–3, and then it got to 3–3 with a point of 15–30. Also, it seems like there were quite a few moments during the match where Sinner looked like he was dealing with cramps, which definitely indicates he wasn’t at his best physically.

The physical toll of the long season can manifest in unexpected ways, as Sinner experienced just weeks earlier at the Shanghai Masters. During his third-round match against Tallon Griekspoor, the Italian superstar was forced to retire from the contest. He needed to be helped off the court after suffering from severe cramping in brutally humid conditions, a scene that was sadly common during that tournament.

In a candid reflection on that incident, Sinner provided a surprising reason for his physical distress, stating, “The cramps in Shanghai? I think they were due to a mental factor. I talked with my team — from that point of view I wasn’t perfect, but now everything’s fine. The mistake was mine: the heat and humidity got me down. You learn from these things — cramps can happen, and I was one of many to suffer from them.”

This admission highlighted the complex interplay between mental fortitude and physical limits, with Sinner noting that he was just one of many players who suffered from the extreme conditions during the Asian swing of the tour. However, cramps weren’t the only problem that Sinner faced in Vienna.

Jannik Sinner had some problems with the chair umpire

In his semifinal match against Alex de Minaur, Jannik Sinner got into a bit of a back-and-forth with chair umpire Fergus Murphy after he was given a time-violation warning. The Italian apparently paused his serve because the crowd was quite loud, waiting for things to settle down before he carried on. Murphy still gave him the violation, which definitely created a pretty tense moment during the match.

Sinner spoke with the umpire, and you could tell he was feeling pretty frustrated. He figured the chaos of the crowd warranted some understanding, and he felt he shouldn’t face any penalties since he was really trying to manage the delay.

It wasn’t a total breakdown, but it really showed how even the most composed players can get a bit worked up about the refs’ calls. So, even with all the challenges, Sinner managed to take down De Minaur in the semifinals and went on to win the final against Zverev with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.