Jannik Sinner is now into the quarterfinals, but he endured a scare in his third-round match against Eliot Spizzirri, when the scorching heat led to cramps and exhaustion. Fortunately for Sinner, the Heat Rule was invoked, and the roof was closed and cooling measures kicked in. Still, the incident sparked debate, with Andy Roddick weighing in on the controversy.

Sinner bounced back in style in the next round. He cruised past Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-3, 7-6(2) in just over two hours, booking his spot in the quarters. Yet, questions lingered. How did he struggle so much in one match and look so fresh in the next? On his podcast Served, former World No.1 Andy Roddick addressed the buzz.

“Him having that match and having that hiccup,” Roddick said, “and it changing nobody’s real opinion about what he’s going to do the rest of the tournament, is a testament to how he’s dealt with things before, because he’s shown us the ability to rebound. Does that mean he wasn’t cooked? No.”

“Does that mean he wasn’t extremely lucky with when the wet-bulb f****** rule came in, and it hit right when he needed it to? No. It’s extremely fortunate. Does that mean it’s a conspiracy? No! It’s the rule! It’s literally like an algorithm that hits, and then it engages. He just got lucky, and that’s okay.”

And he’s right. This isn’t the first time Sinner has faced the wrath of the Melbourne heat. Last year, the calm and composed Italian looked uncomfortable for the first time in over a year. Illness struck. The sun blazed. His match against Holger Rune turned into a survival test.

By the third set, he was limping between points, trembling during changeovers, and hitting errors that felt alien to his usual sharp game.

At 1–1 in that same set, with two break points down, Jannik Sinner looked spent. Rune smelled blood. He made Sinner chase with long rallies, drop shots, and teasing lobs, testing every ounce of stamina and resolve. But Sinner refused to fold. He fought back, rediscovered his timing, and powered through to the Melbourne quarterfinals with a gritty 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory.

Even this year, despite sealing the win, Sinner admitted he got lucky against Spizzirri. His coach later chimed in too, sharing his thoughts on how fortune and fight came together that day.

Jannik Sinner’s coach weighs in on his health

Ahead of the quarterfinals, Darren Cahill gave everyone a peek behind Team Sinner’s curtain, revealing how his player was really doing after that grueling third-round battle. The Aussie coach sounded calm and upbeat, describing the last couple of days as business as usual for the Italian star.

“The recovery has been pretty normal in the last 48 hours. Woke up yesterday feeling pretty good… we had about a 40-minute hit indoors yesterday. We did not request a night session yesterday,” Cahill told reporters.

That update is a huge sigh of relief for Sinner fans. Just days ago, the Italian had scraped through a wild four-set win over unseeded American Eliot Spizzirri in punishing 38°C (100.4°F) heat.

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He cramped all over but somehow survived, thanks to the Australian Open’s heat rule that triggered a roof closure and gave him a breather when he needed it most.

Many assumed Team Sinner would beg for a night match next time around, but Cahill made it clear they didn’t pull any strings. “We did not request a night session,” he clarified. “We could have been moved to the night session when [Jakub] Mensik pulled out. The night session was offered to Jannik, but we had no problem sticking to the schedule.”

Although Jannik Sinner would still prefer an evening match, that’s still not in his control. For now, he’s gearing up for his quarterfinals match against Ben Shelton. If he takes down the American, he’ll mark his third semifinal in a row at the Australian Open. Can the Italian do it again?