Jannik Sinner has yet to win a title in 2026…
Yes, he’s only played two tournaments, but that’s still a poor return for someone of Sinner’s standards.
First, the Italian failed to defend his Australian Open title, losing to Novak Djokovic in the semis, before he lost to Jakub Mensik in the Qatar Open quarterfinals.
Is it time to start worrying about Jannik Sinner yet?
He has not looked himself in 2026…
Watching the seemingly unflappable Sinner struggle, some have suggested he’s in a ‘crisis’.
Italian tennis legend Adriano Panatta disagrees with those claims.
Adriano Panatta denies that Jannik Sinner is in a ‘crisis’ and hits back at Spanish media
As reported by ‘SportKlub‘, Panatta said the following during a recent appearance on ‘RAI‘.
“It is not true that Jannik [Sinner] is in crisis; only two tournaments were played this year,” he said (translated).
“And who says that?
“Spanish media that would love it to be true.
“They would like Sinner to be in crisis, but it is not [true].
“The reason for the theories about Sinner’s crisis is the fact that he did not reach the finals in the first two tournaments of the season, while Carlos Alcaraz won both.
“But to whom did Janik lose those two matches?
“In Melbourne to [Novak] Djokovic, who is a legend of this sport, and in Doha to a 20-year-old guy who is already 16th in the world.
“It is logical that they write like that, but I have to disappoint and deny them. Jannik is not in crisis at all.
Jannik Sinner’s results in 2026
| Match | Opponent | Opponent’s rank | Result | Score |
| Qatar Open – QF | Jakub Mensik | 16th | LOSS | 6-7, 6-2, 3-6 |
| Qatar Open – 2R | Alexei Popyrin | 53rd | WIN | 6-3, 7-5 |
| Qatar Open – 1R | Tomas Machac | 31st | WIN | 6-1, 6-4 |
| Australian Open – SF | Novak Djokovic | 4th | LOSS | 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 4-6 |
| Australian Open – QF | Ben Shelton | 7th | WIN | 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 |
| Australian Open – 4R | Luciano Darderi | 25th | WIN | 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 |
| Australian Open – 3R | Eliot Spizzirri | 85th | WIN | 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 |
| Australian Open – 2R | James Duckworth | 88th | WIN | 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 |
| Australian Open – 1R | Hugo Gaston | 93rd | WIN | 6-2, 6-1 |
Sinner has lost two of the nine matches he’s played in 2026, to a 24-time Grand Slam winner and one of the brightest prospects in men’s tennis.
Panatta isn’t worried about Sinner at all, and insists the ‘real tennis’ hasn’t started yet.
“Real tennis is just starting with two masters in America [Indian Wells and the Miami Open], and the season on clay and Roland Garros,” he said.
“The difference between Sinner and Alcaraz will be visible only at the Grand Slams, only at them will we know the real truth, although I am very confident.
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“No one can win all the time, mistakes are always possible, and he is no exception.
“He wins a lot, he loses sometimes, and that’s okay.”
It is, of course, okay for Sinner to lose, but he won’t enjoy the feeling and will want to return to winning ways before long.
Is Jannik Sinner the favorite to win Indian Wells and the Miami Open?
Whenever Sinner and Alcaraz travel to an event, they enter as the title favorites.
Despite not holding either title, they’ll do just that at Indian Wells and the Miami Open next month.
- 2025 Indian Wells champion – Jack Draper
- 2025 Miami Open champion – Jakub Mensik
But of the Spaniard and the Italian, who is most likely to win the ‘Sunshine Double’ events?
Jannik Sinner’s record at the Sunshine Double
- Indian Wells: 11-3 (79%)
- Indian Wells best performance: SF (2023, 2024)
- Indian Wells 2025 performance: Did not play (Suspended)
- Miami Open: 19-3 (86%)
- Miami Open best performance: W (2024)
- Miami Open 2025 performance: Did not play (Suspended)
Carlos Alcaraz’s record at the Sunshine Double
- Indian Wells: 20-3 (87%)
- Indian Wells best performance: W (2023, 2024)
- Indian Wells 2025 performance: SF (Lost to Jack Draper)
- Miami Open: 13-4 (76%)
- Miami Open best performance: W (2022)
- Miami Open 2025 performance: 2R (Lost to David Goffin)
Looking at the numbers, you’d back Alcaraz to win Indian Wells and Sinner to win the Miami Open.
It would be unfair to say that it’s a two-horse race, though.
The defending champions, Jack Draper (Indian Wells) and Jakub Mensik (Miami Open), will be keen to retain their titles.
And the likes of Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, and Taylor Fritz will all want to win another big title.
Only time will tell who will emerge victorious at the year’s first two Masters 1000 tournaments, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.
The 2026 Indian Wells tournament begins on Wednesday, March 4.
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