The heat came down hard on Jannik Sinner on Saturday. The Italian battled through his round-three clash against America’s Eliot Spizzirri. With temperatures soaring to 40°C, conditions turned brutal. Sinner was cramping and visibly uncomfortable. Thanks to the Australian Open heat rule, play paused briefly, giving the World No. 2 time to recover and break back. But fans weren’t too happy with something that happened during the match.

On Saturday, while play was suspended at 3-1 in the third set, cameras caught an intriguing moment. Jannik’s coach, Darren Cahill, was seen speaking with tournament director Craig Tiley.

It was brief, but enough to stir debate online. Cahill quickly turned to check on Sinner, who had just walked in. Fans, however, weren’t pleased.

“Darren Cahill running along with Craig Tiley to stop his man from wilting. Wow tennis. You really did go bad,” wrote one X user under the footage of the coach.

Meanwhile, the roof was being closed during Sinner’s match because of the extreme heat. Some fans called it an unfair break, suggesting it favored the Italian as he was struggling. Once play resumed indoors, Sinner rallied and took control, winning the last three sets and the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Even Sinner admitted, “I struggled physically a bit today. I got lucky with the heat rule, I know they closed the roof. I took my time, as the time passed, I felt better and better.”

Not everyone saw it that way. Many fans voiced their frustration on social media after spotting the Cahill moment in the post.

Fans react to the abrupt stop during Jannik Sinner’s match

One fan took to X, writing, “They have some explaining to do. This is not looking good.”

So why was the roof closed for Sinner’s match? The Australian Open runs under its Extreme Heat Policy, based on 2019 research on how heat stress affects players. It measures radiant heat, shade temperature, humidity, and wind speed, all feeding into the WBGT index.

When the WBGT reaches 30.1°C or higher during the first two sets of a best‑of‑three singles match, cooling measures are triggered. Once activated, either player can ask for a 10‑minute cooling break after the second set, and the rule applies to both.

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That’s exactly what happened in Sinner’s match against Eliot Spizzirri. The rule kicked in just as Sinner began cramping, giving him a short but crucial window to recover. But fans didn’t see it that way.

Another fan wrote, “If this is true its more evidence of ‘slippery’ behaviour in Sinner’s team.”

For nearly two years, Jannik Sinner and his team have faced constant scrutiny after two positive ITIA tests for the banned substance Clostebol in March 2024. Sinner served a three‑month suspension between February and May 2025, but the shadow lingered.

Fellow pros like Nick Kyrgios and Stan Wawrinka didn’t hold back their disapproval, keeping the controversy alive. Ahead of the 2026 Australian Open, Sinner admitted the saga had tested him deeply but said it also made him stronger and more grounded. Still, this new drama adds another layer to how fans see the Italian and his team.

As one fan put it, “Ouch. This is not helping Sinner. By the end of the day, this guy will end up being the most hated player on the tour.”

Others took issue with Darren Cahill speaking to the tournament director as the match suspension was established.

One fan asked, “Why the hell was he even allowed to talk to him?”

Cahill isn’t just Sinner’s coach. He’s one of the most respected voices in the sport. A former pro who reached a career‑high ranking of No. 22 in 1989, Cahill turned to coaching after retirement. He’s guided Lleyton Hewitt, Andre Agassi, Simona Halep, and now Jannik Sinner; all players who eventually reached No. 1 under his guidance.

He’s also a familiar face within the tennis community. A long‑time ESPN analyst and consultant, Cahill is known everywhere on tour. So, while he was seen chatting with Craig Tiley, it doesn’t necessarily mean it was for Sinner’s benefit. Neither side has commented on what was discussed.

While fans came down hard on Sinner and the tournament for the sudden roof closure, the reason was, in the end, straightforward.

As one fan laid it bare, “This is childish baloney. If the AO was really bending the rules in favor of Sinner, then why did they schedule his match during the day? It is Novak, who they scheduled for the night match. The heat rule is the heat rule, and it was applied objectively.”

True to that point, Sinner’s match was part of the day session, beginning at 12:00 PM local time. His previous round, against James Duckworth, had been scheduled for 7:00 PM under the night lights. So players don’t pick their match times or conditions; that’s the tournament’s call.

The Australian Open is, in fact, the only tournament that enforces a “Heat Rule” for ATP matches. Unlike his experience at the 2025 Shanghai Masters, where cramps forced him to retire in the third round, this time the rule worked in his favor.

So for now, Jannik Sinner is moving into the fourth round to face off against fellow Italian Luciano Darderi! Will he recover from the struggle of this round’s match to make it into yet another quarterfinal at Melbourne Park and successfully defend his two-time AO title?