No one is safe from fans’ clutches when they’re in the mood to voice their candid opinions. Otherwise, Jannik Sinner catching flak from the community after recently losing a beloved family member would be uncalled for. However, with his recent comments, the Italian is skating on thin ice. And before we dive in any further, understand this – his residual goodwill amongst fans has now been dragged left, right, and center through the mud.

The chain of reaction started when four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz was subtly dissed by one of his most formidable rivals,  Sinner. Having iterated problems with ATP’s hectic schedule, Alcaraz blasted the Tour for overwhelming competitors with a full-blown calendar. The young talent’s complaints came right after he outfoxed Ben Shelton while representing Team Europe at the Laver Cup.

Using strong words to prove his point, Alcaraz said: “Somehow they will kill us. At this stage, many good tennis players risk losing their tournaments due to injuries. Sometimes it happens that I don’t want to go and play a tournament: I mustn’t lie, I’ve felt that way a few times. I don’t feel motivated at all.” This, in turn, did not receive a supportive reaction from Italian superstar Sinner.

The World No. 1 was asked to comment on Alcaraz’s remarks during his pre-tournament presser at the China Open. While he acknowledged the frenetic calendar, Sinner emphasized players’ decision on whether they want to participate or not. He further gave an example to back his claims. “The schedule is quite long these years. But we players, can still choose what to play and what not to play. We have some mandatory events, yes. As a player, you can still choose. You don’t have to play a tournament. If you want, you can play. If not, you don’t play. For example last year and also this year, I didn’t play some tournaments because I wanted to practice. There are some choices behind this.”

Sinner’s response, although subtle, elicited a profound reaction from fans, who didn’t back out from criticizing him outrightly.

Fans blast Jannik Sinner’s advice on Carlos Alcaraz’s ATP schedule protest

Taking to X, one fan hilariously took a jab at Jannik Sinner. In hopes of backfiring at the Italian’s opinion, that players are free to choose events in the schedule, he wrote, “Yeah, such as skipping Olympics so you get to play tournaments that give you more money and ranking points.” This comment is fair play, considering the 23-year-old indeed missed the quadrennial event and, marked his attendance at the Canadian Open and later, cashed on his triumph at the Cincinnati Masters. His reason for no-show at the Paris event, however, was due to tonsillitis. Alcaraz, on the other hand, was unable to conclude his dream of the elusive gold after he lost to Novak Djokovic in the summit clash.

Another fan strongly condemned the Italian’s words, claiming that the superstar got “arrogant and rich way too fast and needs to remember where he came from”. They further noted that “players can only play less if they can afford to” and urged the community to not “listen to him and not play if we don’t feel like it”. For those unaware, 2023 marked the year Sinner truly burst on the scene. This year, he scripted the record of being the first Italian since 1973 to claim the World No. 1 spot.

One user twisted Sinner’s comments, highlighting that the Italian “admits that the tournaments he missed such as Rome and the Olympics were not due to (fake) injuries but by choice”. A horrible response, indeed, the 23-year-old withdrew from the ATP Masters 1000 event after issuing a statement, citing that it’s “a tough call for me to not play here but I have to take care of my body firstly. It’s one of if not the most special tournament”. Another fan stressed a similar point, saying that they “know his choices well”. One fan sarcastically stated that Sinner’s response was a “coherent statement from those who chose to skip the Davis qualifiers and the Olympics twice”. It is worth noting that the Italian sensation chose not to play in the recently held Davis Cup group stage matches, citing exhaustion due to his US Open campaign.

In summary, this isn’t a pretty look for Sinner. Amid his doping controversy, drawing more backlash from the community was the last thing he needed. Overall, it is safe to say that fans won’t forget the Italian’s remarks anytime soon.