Although Jannik Sinner had cruised to the semifinals of the 2026 Italian Open with little trouble, he faced unexpected challenges during his high-profile battle with Daniil Medvedev. With a spot in the final at stake, the tense atmosphere of the clash proved to be too much for the world No. 1’s mother, Siglinde, in the stands.
Why Jannik Sinner’s Mother Left the Stadium During His Match Against Daniil Medvedev
Sinner made a characteristic start to his showdown with Medvedev, dominating the opening set to seize early control of the match. However, momentum shifted in the second set as the Italian began to struggle physically, repeatedly bending over in an effort to catch his breath. Medvedev capitalized on the dip and forced a decider.
Although the world No. 1 secured a crucial break in the third set, his discomfort continued as he called for a medical timeout and received treatment on his right knee. Sinner then urged the umpire to suspend play as rain intensified, and the match was ultimately postponed with the four-time Grand Slam champion leading 6-2, 5-7, 4-2.
Sinner che cerca di superare l’effetto Salvini ritardato di un giorno…
ed è l’unico al mondo capace di farlo…#Sinner #Jannik #IBI26 #Medvedev pic.twitter.com/DohC854x6M— Sirio 🏀 (@siriomerenda) May 15, 2026
Sinner has enjoyed strong support from his loved ones throughout his campaign at the ATP Masters 1000 event, with his girlfriend Laila Hasanovic also arriving in Rome to cheer him on during the semifinal. However, during the tense semifinal encounter, his mother Siglinde eventually left his father in the stands and walked out of the stadium.
The moment came just a day after Sinner spoke about his mother’s habit of leaving matches midway. While speaking to Italian football legend Paolo Maldini after his quarterfinal win, the 24-year-old disclosed that she feels the need to walk away when his matches become too stressful, with his mother proving him right during the semifinal.
“When she sees that the match is not stressful, she stays. Then when it’s too much she leaves,” he said.
Following the suspension of play, Sinner’s struggles became a major talking point on the Tennis Channel, with Christopher Eubanks highlighting the four-time Grand Slam champion’s troubling condition during the match.
“On the changeovers, it felt like maybe he was dealing with some type of illness. He was having trouble catching his breath. We even saw him grimace a little bit at one of the change of ends,” Eubanks said.
Eubanks also explained how the difficulties forced the 24-year-old to abandon his natural playing style and instead focus on conserving his energy.
“The first time I’ve ever seen him sacrifice a point, play a drop shot, and just realize the point was going on a little bit too long. He needed to conserve his energy. He was able to balance it in the third, got up the break, and then started to really force the aggression on some points, started to let some go and manage the body,” he added.
Given his physical ordeal, Jannik Sinner will welcome the opportunity to get some much-needed rest before play resumes on Saturday, May 16. The winner of the match between the world No. 1 and Daniil Medvedev will lock horns with Casper Ruud in the Italian Open final.
