Jannik Sinner’s victory over Daniil Medvedev was a true test of endurance. The highly anticipated semifinal had the world No. 1 struggling physically, both Medvedev and Sinner complaining to the umpires, and was suspended and postponed late Friday night due to persistent rain. Throughout the intense rollercoaster, the partisan crowd at the 10,500-seat Campo Centrale served as Sinner’s ultimate lifeline.
Jannik Sinner Refuses to Answer if Italian Crowd Energy Saved His Semifinal Match in Rome
Medvedev was quite the challenge for Sinner. After losing the first set 6-2, the Russian bounced back and won the second set 7-5. During the deciding set, Sinner broke Medvedev’s serve and was up 3-2 when he called for a medical timeout. He received treatment on his right knee while drinking pickle juice, which players normally take while dealing with cramps.
Medvedev angrily confronted chair umpire Aurelie Tourte over Sinner getting special treatment, pressing Tourte because ATP rules forbid full timeouts for cramping. Meanwhile, a visibly exhausted Sinner later locked into a heated debate with the umpire as dangerously slick rain fell, shouting, “It’s pouring!… The problem is the lines, what if I slip on the lines? How can you not make the decision?” until Tourte finally relented on her initial stance of “If the court is good, we play” and suspended the match.
Before the weather suspended play, Sinner was also visibly battling through severe leg cramps, leaned heavily on his racket for support, struggling to breathe, and even collapsed on the court from a fit of vomiting during the second set.
Amid all this, the arena was filled with many fans in orange, Sinner’s signature color, holding up signs reading “Sinner, Facce Sogna” (Sinner, Make us dream) and roaring after every crucial point.
Despite Medvedev capitalizing on those struggles to steal the second set and push the match to the absolute limit, Sinner survived. When play finally resumed on Saturday, the Italian star needed just 15 minutes to finish off Medvedev, sealing the grueling battle on his third match point.
The incredible, electrifying energy from the stands did not go unnoticed during Sinner’s post-match press conference. A reporter highlighted the World No. 1’s uncharacteristic emotional displays, asking: “That was probably one of the most expressive matches I’ve seen from you in terms of how much you were trying to get energy from the crowd. Do you think you would have been able to get over the line if you weren’t playing at home?”
Sinner, with his signature humble and stoic demeanor, refused to attribute the win entirely to the hometown advantage. “I don’t know. It’s a question I cannot answer. Sorry,” Sinner replied.
The “Sinner-mania” taking over Rome has been the talk of the tournament, even among his fellow top-tier competitors. Earlier in the week, Coco Gauff playfully addressed the massive Italian crowds who were eagerly waiting for Sinner’s matches, especially at the bridge connecting the tournament’s main stadium court, Campo Centrale, to the practice courts and the exclusive player lounges.
Following one of her own hard-fought victories, Gauff joked during her on-court interview: “I know you guys are ready for Jannik Sinner. Can we get some cheers for Jannik? Ok ok. Wait. Can I have like just a little cheer for me too?”
In Sunday’s championship match, Sinner will face Norway’s Casper Ruud, who secured his spot in the final with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 victory over Italian Luciano Darderi. Sinner will look to cap off his spectacular run and become the first Italian man to raise the singles trophy in Rome since Adriano Panatta in 1976.
