Jannik Sinner won his fifth Grand Slam and won five consecutive Masters titles this year, and yet the most talked-about part of his game this autumn is his body. The Italian world No. 1 has not played a single match since winning Wimbledon in July and has ended his season early in October, recovering from a knee injury, and now a blunt assessment from the head of Italian tennis has put that question at the centre of the conversation again. 

Angelo Binaghi, the president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, spoke to TG1 this week 

“He isn’t a superhuman like Djokovic,” Binaghi stated. “Nor is he a player of immense raw strength like Nadal. He is someone who must continue to build his physique.”

It’s a very apt comparison – the world No.1 getting compared to two of the most physically resilient champions in the sport’s history. Binaghi was not criticising Sinner’s level but was talking about a work in progress.

Binaghi’s comparison struck a nerve because Djokovic, at 39, won the China Open in Beijing earlier this month, a fresh example of longevity that is being compared with Sinner.

Djokovic and Nadal whose careers have spanned out for more than two decades and to have such a long career with being top of the game, it requires immense physical strength. The Serbian reached the finals of the Australian Open and, in fact, beat Sinner, the defending champion, in five sets to reach there at the start of the year, when the Italian was perfectly fine.

Nadal has endured physical challenges all his life and built a career out of it. He had a foot condition called Muller-Weiss Syndrome in his left foot, an incurable degenerative condition. He has had chronic issues in both his knees, had severe abdominal tears on multiple occasions, and a hip injury during the later stage of his career, and in all of this he missed 18 Grand Slams in his career but still managed to win the second most Grand Slams in the men’s Open era, 22. 

Binaghi even commented on the reported changes to Sinner’s coaching team. The Times has reported that Magnus Norman, the Swedish coach who guided Stan Wawrinka to three Grand Slam titles, will join Simone Vagnozzi in Sinner’s camp, with Darren Cahill reportedly set to step away. The Italian chief made clear where his loyalties lie. 

“I’m rooting for Cahill, because, in my view, he’s irreplaceable. It’s important that Sinner always has a coach by his side who was a high-level player, first Cahill, and now Norman. Furthermore, that person also needs to be a good psychologist,” the Chief added. 

Sinner’s management team have characterized his injury as a treatment for inflammation in his knee, giving him time to recover before 2027 preparations start. It also presented an even bigger question as to how long his body could keep up that speed, and the knee is just the next act.

Sinner’s recurring physical setbacks over two seasons

It’s not the first time his body has derailed a solid run. He was unable to compete in 2024’s Madrid and Italian Opens due to chronic hip pain. In 2025, he received a severe blow to his elbow during Wimbledon, demanding a course of treatment and scans. In August 2025, he retired from the Cincinnati final against Carlos Alcaraz while trailing 5-0, because of a virus with a high fever. 

Two months later, cramping forced him to retire against Tallon Griekspoor at the Shanghai Masters. This year, he lost in the second round of Roland Garros to Juan Manuel Cerundolo while battling cramps and heat exhaustion. None of this discounts what he has achieved. 

In 2025, Sinner compiled a 58-6 record and captured the ATP Finals for the second consecutive year, which puts him at 15-2 in ATP Finals. This year, he won the first five Masters 1000 events, Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, Madrid, and Rome, and went 44-3 before the injury stopped him. These statistics reflect a player whose level is extraordinary when he is in peak condition. 

Time is on Sinner’s side. He’s still only 25, and the effort he makes this winter will be more important than any one outcome. The reported arrival of Norman, who could possibly join the team in December, could provide a new voice on the mental side that Binaghi cherishes greatly. 

The Italian is also set to return to action at the end of December at the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh, a low-pressure setting before the Australian Open. If he’s able to get the strength his federation president has been asking for during the winter, the injuries of 2026 could become a turning point rather than a pattern.