Sinner’s title defense in jeopardy as she faces Spizzirri; roof closed due to sweltering heat | ATP Tour
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Sinner’s title defense in jeopardy against Spizzirri; roof closed due to sweltering heat
The game ended in a draw, with Spitzri breaking serve in the third game.
January 24, 2026
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Jannik Sinner is chasing his third consecutive Australian Open title.
Written by ATP Staff
Jannik Sinner has won back-to-back Australian Open titles, but his quest for a third consecutive trophy is in jeopardy.
Eliot Spizzirri holds a 6-4, 3-6, 3-1 lead over the No. 2 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, with play suspended at around 2:35 pm local time due to the event’s warm-up rules to close the roof of Rod Laver Arena. The game resumed less than 10 minutes later.
The pause came at a crucial time for Sinner, who appeared to be battling cramps. At 2-1 in the third set, Sinner began to bend his left arm, showing discomfort. Then his legs began to struggle to serve without being pushed away.
Spitzri was playing in the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time and had never played in the main draw of the Australian Open before. This was his first time against a top-10 opponent.
According to Infosys Stats, Sinner made 37 unforced errors in two and a half sets, while Spizzri largely avoided self-recrimination, having made only 13 unforced errors as of the timeout.
