The 2025 season is racing to its final stages. Eight Masters tournaments are done, leaving only Paris before the ATP Finals. All four Grand Slams saw Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz dominate. The Spaniard grabbed three Masters titles and two Slams, overtaking Sinner after beating him at the US Open. But the Italian hasn’t had a bad ride either. Two Slams, the China Open crown, and still holding World No. 2, even after a three-month ban. Still, heading into the finish line, Jannik faces a tricky road ahead.

Sinner’s last stop was the Shanghai Masters. He returned as defending champion, chasing precious points to close in on Alcaraz. But cramps hit in the round of 32 against Tallon Griekspoor. Forced to retire, then withdraw entirely. Brutal. At least one more Masters shot this year, right?

Well… maybe not. According to Eterno a Schiaffo on X, reported by Luca Deiana (@Deiana_Luca9), “Jannik Sinner is expected to play Vienna but skip the Rolex Paris Masters, before heading to the ATP Finals — and he reportedly won’t play the Davis Cup. 🦊” Ouch. Nothing confirmed yet, but if true, this could spell trouble for his points chase.

Right now, Carlos Alcaraz, who skipped Shanghai due to injury, leads Jannik Sinner by 1,340 points in the ATP rankings. For Sinner to catch him, he needs huge results. Paris Masters offers 1,000 points, the ATP Finals up to 1,500. Alcaraz would also have to falter in both. It’s a tall order. Still, the season isn’t over, and there’s always room for one final twist.

Last October, Sinner pulled out of Paris at the last moment after catching a virus. Then, he then led Italy in the Davis Cup for two straight years. But now, skipping those events seems possible. If he does, the chase could fizzle fast and the drama end before it begins. First, though, how is Jannik doing after Shanghai?

Jannik Sinner drops health update following Shanghai Masters setback

Sinner was flying high heading into the Asian swing. He stormed through the China Open, barely dropping a beat all week. But once the tour hit mainland China, things got messy. Temperatures soared close to 30°C (86°F) with humidity above 80%, turning matches into endurance tests. The Italian wilted in the heat and wasn’t alone; Casper Ruud, Tomas Machac, Wu Yibing, Terence Atmane, Hamad Medjedovic, and David Goffin all retired as the conditions took their toll. Still, you don’t hold that World No. 2 ranking for nothing.

He’s already bounced back, training in Riyadh ahead of the Six Kings Slam exhibition. His first matchup? Stefanos Tsitsipas. Speaking to Super Tennis, Jannik Sinner said, “There are very strong opponents and we’ll see what I can do this year. I took two days off, then got back to work. I feel good physically and mentally, we are ready here and for the upcoming tournaments, and we hope to finish the year well.” Sounds like the reset worked.

This is Sinner’s second appearance in Riyadh, and he’s defending his crown. Last year, he beat Carlos Alcaraz to claim the $6 million prize. That was his only win over the Spaniard in 2024, but fast-forward to this season, and he stunned him again to lift his first Wimbledon title. Maybe history’s giving us a hint: when Sinner starts strong in Riyadh, big things follow.

As for what comes next, the Italian isn’t getting ahead of himself. “Against Tsitsipas, it will be a tough match, he serves very well and moves very well, I will try to play my best tennis and we’ll see what happens,” he admitted. So hopefully this week brings some magic, and maybe a clue on whether he’ll show up in Paris for the Masters. what do you think?