Jannik Sinner hasn’t been as critical of the ATP schedule as the other stars. He even got some flak over his comments on calendar management, when he refused to criticize the schedule in Beijing and rather suggested that the players should pick and choose tournaments. “You don’t have to play a tournament. If you want, you can play. If not, you don’t play,” that’s what Sinner said when he was asked about the ATP schedule at the China Open. But, as he made his way to Shanghai to play the Masters, the Italian made a candid admission.

During the post-match interview following his 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-2 victory over Tomas Martin Etcheverry, a journalist asked Sinner whether the jam-packed ATP calendar was taking a toll on him. The Italian said he was in good shape, but if it were up to him, he wouldn’t be lining up the Davis Cup Finals right after the ATP Finals. 

Explaining his standpoint, Sinner said, “We have a lot of tournaments, that’s for sure. It would be ideal if there was no Davis Cup after the ATP Finals. I think that’s definitely something I would change in the program. The rest we can still choose as players, if I play in Beijing or if I play here. I feel like this season we chose the tournaments, there was no problem in that sense. We have the ATP Masters 1000 series which is mandatory but, for example, I could choose if I play in Beijing before an ATP Masters 1000 or not.”

The discussions around the current tennis schedule have two different schools of thought. While it’s very evident that the top players are not enjoying the hectic schedule, a packed calendar provides opportunities for the lower-ranked players to gain more and more experience a the top level, apart from helping them financially.

For the top players though, rest and recovery matters a lot. The likes of Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz have raised concerns that the back-to-back tournaments aren’t allowing the players enough recovery time, resulting in injuries. And, Sinner reflected on that as well.

‘It’s important to recover” – Jannik Sinner stresses the importance of good rest

Shedding light on the importance of rest and recovery, Sinner said, “I definitely try to sleep late in the morning, I have to see if I will play tennis tomorrow or not. That will be another question because I feel like I played a lot last week. I feel like it’s important now to try to recover. Maybe I will do some gym, I will evaluate a bit together with my team,”

Jannik Sinner will be back on Wednesday facing the winner of the challenge between Ben Shelton and Roberto Carballes Baena for a place in the quarterfinals. The Italian is having the best year of his career – having lifted two major titles and ascended to the top spot in the rankings. What’s more, he has only lost six matches out of 67 he has played this year so far. And this isn’t even over yet.

Following the Shanghai Masters, the player will be in Turin for the ATP Finals. And, on November 19, Sinner will be with his home team Italy at the Davis Cup Finals. Italy is the defending champion, and based on Sinner’s incredible run this year, it’s no wonder if they successfully defend their title.