Jannik Sinner was on the verge of being eliminated from the 2026 Australian Open.
Suffering in the extreme Melbourne heat, Sinner’s body cramped up during his third-round match.
The Italian trailed America’s Eliot Spizzirri, 4-6, 6-3, 1-3, and looked in big trouble.
Were the Australian Open wrong to allow Jannik Sinner time off court when he was cramping?
News of the potential upset reverberated around the grounds, especially among Sinner’s rivals.
During his latest press conference, Taylor Fritz shared what was happening in the locker room as the Italian struggled.
Taylor Fritz says players were crowded around the TV watching Jannik Sinner struggle
In his third-round match, Fritz defeated Stan Wawrinka in four sets.
Afterwards, he was asked if he caught any of Sinner’s comeback win against Spizzirri.
“I didn’t see too much of it,” said Fritz.
“I literally just saw the part where it looked like Jannik [Sinner] was cramping and Eliot [Spizzirri] broke, so that five-minute window.
“Then I went to start doing my stuff.”
A journalist then asked what the atmosphere in the locker room was like, seeing one of the big favorites in trouble.
“When it’s happening, like, people are obviously gathered around the TV watching, because they want to see what happens,” said Fritz.
“But I think that happens any time, like, an upset is brewing, or someone is in trouble, or it’s like a big tiebreak or something.
“Everyone kind of gathers around and wants to see what’s going on.”
Sinner came through in four sets, to defeat Spizzirri, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
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Bad news for anyone hoping to see the draw open up…
Sinner will now return for an all-Italian fourth-round match against Luciano Darderi.
Fritz also has an Italian up next, as he prepares to take on Lorenzo Musetti.
‘I have to play well’ – Taylor Fritz previews Lorenzo Musetti clash
The 2024 US Open runner-up will play the fifth seed, Musetti, in the last 16.
Fritz is well aware of the threat Musetti poses.
“I mean, he beat me on a grass court, so I think he’s pretty good on all surfaces,” he said.
Taylor Fritz and Lorenzo Musetti’s head-to-head record
| Match | Surface | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2025 ATP Finals – RR | Hard | Taylor Fritz | Lorenzo Musetti | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2024 Olympics – 3R | Clay | Lorenzo Musetti | Taylor Fritz | 6-4, 7-5 |
| 2024 Wimbledon – QF | Grass | Lorenzo Musetti | Taylor Fritz | 3-6, 7-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 |
| 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters – 1R | Clay | Lorenzo Musetti | Taylor Fritz | 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2022 Davis Cup – QF | Hard | Taylor Fritz | Lorenzo Musetti | 7-6, 6-3 |
| 2022 Wimbledon – 1R | Grass | Taylor Fritz | Lorenzo Musetti | 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 |
“I think he’s improved a lot on fast surfaces.
“Obviously, we just played at World Tour Finals, and, yeah, he’s crafty. I would say he’s great at neutralizing power and big serving.
“So it makes the matchup tough, but, you know, I was able to get him then.
“Yeah, I have to play well.”
After six matches, Fritz and Musetti are tied at 3-3 in their head-to-head.
Fritz has won both of their meetings on hard courts, though.
It’s tough to predict who will emerge victorious this time around…
But who’s played better so far at the Australian Open?
Time spent on court reaching the 4R
| Player | Sets played | Games played | Average time per match | Total time on court |
| Taylor Fritz | 11 | 112 | 2 hours, 35 minutes | 7 hours, 46 minutes |
| Lorenzo Musetti | 12 | 118 | 3 hours, 28 minutes | 10 hours, 23 minutes |
Fritz has spent less time on court than Musetti, making lighter work of his first three opponents, Valentin Royer, Vit Kopriva, and Wawrinka.
Whether that will make a difference in their fourth-round match remains to be seen.
Fritz will play Musetti in the fourth round of the 2026 Australian Open on Monday, January 26.
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