"I'm not at 100%" - Jannik Sinner sends concerning message ahead of crucial Ben Shelton encounter at Paris Masters 

Jannik Sinner has sent out a very concerning message just ahead of a crucial encounter against Ben Shelton at the 2025 Paris Masters regarding his physical condition. The duo is set to face each other in the quarterfinals.

Sinner entered the Paris Masters as the second seed after enduring a grueling season that saw him capture two Grand Slam titles among several other achievements. He began his campaign against Zizou Bergs and cruised past the Belgian with a comfortable 6-4, 6-2 victory.

Then, the Italian faced Francisco Cerundolo on Thursday, October 30, and that’s where he began showing signs of discomfort. He appeared somewhat restricted in his movement during the first set and showed visible signs of fatigue and pain in the second, yet he still managed to secure a 7-5, 6-1 victory.

After the match, Jannik Sinner spoke to reporters and opened up about his physical condition. He didn’t hold back, admitting that he was clearly not at 100% and was trying to manage things the best he could.

"I'm trying to manage it as best I can, but it's clear I'm not at 100% ," he said. "But we'll see. I feel like today's match was less physical, which is good for me. I'm happy to have won it in two sets, in under an hour and a half. I'm going to sleep very well tonight," he added.

Sinner has competed in a total of 11 tournaments so far this year, including the Paris Masters. However, unlike his rival Carlos Alcaraz, he refrained from blaming the packed ATP schedule, stating that players have the option to choose where and where not to play.

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Jannik Sinner: "Tomorrow I have a very difficult opponent, I have to play at 100%"

Jannik Sinner pictured at the 2025 Paris Masters | Image Source: Getty

Jannik Sinner continued discussing his match against Francisco Cerundolo at the 2025 Paris Masters, admitting that he made several mistakes during the contest. However, he expressed satisfaction with how he managed to close out the match in the end.

"I was up twice with a break in the first set, but I couldn't capitalize. I put myself in an uncomfortable situation. I'm happy with how I handled the match. I felt much better," he told the reporters.

The Italian said he hoped the lessons from his hard-fought win over Cerundolo would give him the confidence he needed ahead of his clash with Ben Shelton. He also added that his main priority at the moment was to recover physically.

"I hope this gives me the confidence to start well tomorrow," Jannik Sinner said. "Every match is different. We'll see what happens. I hope to recover physically; that's my priority. We'll see.""Anyway, today was a great match and a great performance on my part. Tomorrow I have a very difficult opponent. I have to play at 100%. I hope I can. We're all expecting a great match," he added.

Edited by Pritha Ghosh