Jannik Sinner has made the Australian Open his own the last two years, and he is likely the favorite in the view of many to win the Grand Slam again in 2026. He is a master on hard courts, and if he gets to play inside in Melbourne, he is nearly unbeatable. But the Italian almost had a blunder in the third round.
Taking on American Eliot Spizzirri, the ATP No. 2 began to cramp badly in the third set, one in which he was down a break. Sinner had lost the first set 4-6, and the heat in Melbourne was clearly affecting him. Might he lose far too early in the Australian Open?
The same almost happened at Wimbledon in 2025, too. In the fourth round, he was being dominated by Grigor Dimitrov, and the Bulgarian was seemingly on the verge of pushing the Italian out of the tournament. Unfortunately, Dimitrov suffered a pec injury and was forced to retire.
Jannik Sinner survives cramps and his opponent in the third round of the 2026 Australian Open
Sinner won the match because of Dimitrov's injury, of course, but the victory also kept him alive to win Wimbledon for the first time. He did so by defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Sinner deserved the title, though he probably would have lost in the fourth round had his opponent stayed healthy.
The proverbial tables were almost completely turned in the third round of the 2026 Australian Open. It was Sinner who was cramping badly, while his opponent was arguably playing at a higher level. Due to the excessive heat rule, though, play was suspended for about 10 minutes, and the roof of Rod Laver Arena was closed.
Not only was Sinner going to start playing in cooler temperatures because of the roof being closed, but he was then going to be playing indoors without any weather elements getting in his way. The Italian came back to win five of the next six games and take the third set 6-4.
He finished off the match with a 6-4 fourth set that didn't feel as close as the score implied. He was through to the fourth round and could likely be playing with a bit less stress, as Sinner probably understands he was fortunate for the heat. He admitted to getting "lucky" after the match.
He told the media, "I struggled physically today. I got lucky with the heat rule. As the time passed, I felt better and better. (The cramping) started with the legs. Got to the arms. I was cramping a bit all over. This is the sport. This is an area I know I need to improve."
Next up for Jannik Sinner in the fourth round of the 2026 Australian Open will be fellow Italian Luciano Darderi. The 23-year-old will be no pushover. He is ranked No. 25, and the two players have never faced one another.