The Shanghai Masters is getting too hot and humid to handle. Quite literally. So much so that being scheduled for a night session failed to offer Jannik Sinner any solace from the weather. By the third set against Tallon Griekspoor on October 5, the world No. 2 was cramping and limping. He had to retire.

The Italian was trailing Griekspoor 6-7 (3), 7-5, 3-2 when his health deteriorated. Watching him limp to his seat was painful for many fans, but there was also a section of spectators who felt Sinner had faked the health issue. He didn’t have the lead, after all. Yes, that sounds like an illogical speculation, and Serena Williams’ former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, has stepped forward to clear things out.

“Some said he did it on purpose. No… what Sinner had to endure was brutal — a classic example of what it’s like to play in extreme humidity,” Mouratoglou captioned his Instagram reel.

“To explain Sinner’s cramps, there is only one word: Humidity,” Mouratoglou mentioned in the clip. “[Taylor] Fritz had the same problem. We saw Novak Djokovic throw up twice.”

During his match against Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Fritz was seen exhausted on the court due to the heat, while eventually losing. Djokovic, on the other hand, was seen throwing up in his second-round battle against Yannick Hanfmann on Sunday. Obviously, the reason was the heat and growing humidity at the venue.

Mouratoglou continued, “It’s not the first time Jannik got cramps. He had cramps against Carlos [Alcaraz] in Roland-Garros, but this [Shanghai] was tension. Until it happens to you, there is no reason to change anything. Once it happens, his team will probably organize differently next time he plays in such conditions. Probably increase the drinking [hydration] before the match.

“Because during the match, at a certain point, we cannot drink more. And this is where Waterdrop, for example, is important because when you sweat that much, you are losing everything that is in your body.”

The weather conditions have been severe in Shanghai over the past week, particularly on Sunday. Players were competing in almost 90% humidity, and it goes without saying that many struggled.

Sinner had already started to look sick in the second set against Griekspoor and even placed ice towels around his neck at the changeover before the start of the third set. He was limping between points, and in the sixth game of the decider, he needed his physio. Post that, he decided to retire.

Even Griekspoor, who wished Sinner a quick recovery, couldn’t help but talk about the brutal weather conditions.

While his avid fans will hope for him to recover and step back on the court, Sinner has lost a crucial opportunity with his withdrawal from the ATP 1000 event. Apart from missing out on the chance to reclaim the trophy, he has also lost the momentum in the year-end No.1 race.

Jannik Sinner’s Shanghai withdrawal gives an edge to rival Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz dethroned Jannik Sinner from the No.1 spot last month after he defeated him in the US Open final. However, there were still hopes for the Italian to make a comeback in order to take the position back before the end of the season. But after what happened in Shanghai, although unfortunate, his chances look bleak.

Had the Italian defended the Rolex Shanghai Masters title this year, he would have pulled to within 1,590 points of his Spanish rival. That would have put him in a position to challenge Alcaraz for the No.1 title at the end of the season.

But right now, it seems like Alcaraz is going to stay No.1 and take the year-end crown. Currently, he leads the race against Sinner by 2,540 ranking points in the live rankings ahead of the ATP Finals in Turin. It serves as the measuring tool for the year-end No.1 battle.

While he has not lost hope of reclaiming the throne, Sinner will have to be near-perfect going forward. Next up, he will compete in Vienna. After that, he will enter the last Masters event of the season in Paris. And then he will look to defend his ATP Finals title in Turin. If he wins all three tournaments, he can get to a maximum of 3,000 ranking points.

On the other hand, Alcaraz is expected to play two more events: the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals. Winning them both will award him 2,500 ranking points if he does not accept a wildcard invitation to any other event.

If Alcaraz experiences early-round losses in his remaining campaigns, Sinner might snatch that year-end No.1 crown.