Jannik Sinner left no stone unturned as he booked his third career Australian Open quarterfinal, following a tough third-round battle and then a straight-sets 6-1, 6-3, 7-6(2) win over fellow Italian Luciano Darderi in the fourth round at Margaret Court Arena. But ahead of the quarterfinals, Darren Cahill opened up about how Sinner was really feeling after his grueling previous match.

Speaking about the recovery process, the 60-year-old coach said things had been fairly routine. “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.

Sinner’s third-round match was especially brutal, as he struggled with full-body cramps for four sets against unseeded American Eliot Spizzirri in 38°C (100.4°F) heat. His campaign very nearly ended, but the Italian was saved by the Australian Open’s heat rule that kicked in and prompted a roof closure.

Following that tense battle, many thought Team Sinner would try to schedule a night match to beat the heat, but Cahill clarified that that was not the case.

“We did not request a night session,” said Cahill. “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.”

Still, Sinner was given a more favorable 6pm start time for his fourth-round match over Darderi, who also struggled with cramps after the previous round.

“He was quite happy with the schedule when it came out that he was here not before 6 p.m. on MCA,” Cahill added. “No problem at all for Jannik playing in this stadium. He’s looking forward to it, even though he’s up against a really tough opponent.”

The coach also praised Eliot Spizzirri, who pushed Sinner hard in the previous round. Cahill admitted he had been keeping an eye on him for a while. Looking back at the tough third-round match, Cahill also spoke about the roof closure and the extreme heat:

“Jannik did get a little lucky when the roof was closed, but we all knew it was coming… I’ve been with him a long time, and honestly, that was one of the best three or four performances I’ve seen from him. He came back still dealing with full-body cramps and found a way to get through it.”

Still, though the correct rules were followed when the roof was closed, Sinner’s lucky escape has invited all kinds of debate.

Steve Johnson slams “insane” heat rule in match involving Jannik Sinner

Yesterday, former tennis player Steve Johnson shared his thoughts on the incident from Jannik Sinner’s match while speaking on the Nothing Major Podcast. Johnson suggested the heat rule shouldn’t be applied in the middle of a set, because it can end up helping the player who is struggling. So what exactly did he mean?

“I think it’s insane,” the 36-year-old said. “I understand why the rule exists. They picked a certain number years ago, and now they’re just following it. I get that. I just don’t like that they step in during the middle of a set.”

Johnson went on to explain his point further. “I understand why they make rules and stick to them, but I don’t think they should interrupt a set. They should finish the set first. If it’s rain, obviously you stop and close the roof. But in this case, I think they should wait until the end of the set and then close it.”

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“I know the rules are in place, and those numbers were set years ago when all this started. I just feel for Elliott,” Johnson added.

Regardless, the Australian Open 2026 Extreme Heat Policy is expected to come into play again, with temperatures expected to reach 42°C (107.6°F) in Melbourne on Tuesday, January 27. That day, however, works out well for Sinner, since he isn’t scheduled to play and is expected to compete the following day instead, when temperatures are predicted to be much cooler at around 25°C (77°F).

It could still be hot on semifinal day, with forecasts around 30°C (86°F). But if Jannik Sinner makes it through, conditions on the final day are expected to be much more comfortable, with temperatures around 21°C (69.8°F), which should make it easier for the Italian to play smoothly.