Defending Rolex Shanghai Masters champion Jannik Sinner was forced to retire during his marathon match with Tallon Griekspoor on Sunday. The two split sets and were battling in the deciding third set when Sinner pulled up with either an injure or severe cramping or a mixture of both.
Not how anyone wanted it to end 😢
Jannik Sinner is forced to retire hurt in the third set meaning Tallon Griekspoor progresses to the next round #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/QRowNyQwLx
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 5, 2025
It was painful to watch Sinner who struggled to walk on his own to his chair after conceding the match. This is the latest example of a marathon tennis season that seems to be claiming far too many players.
Earlier in the day, Tomas Machac retired during his match.
Tomas Machac retired at 0-6, 1-3 (0-30) down vs Valentin Vacherot.
Was struggling a lot on serve and moving around.
4th retirement of the year in singles. pic.twitter.com/7AIgN4x09R
— edgeAI (@edgeAIapp) October 5, 2025
Since the US Open, there have been countless player retirements and injuries.
On a week when the argument about the lengthy tennis season saw many weigh in, including Sinner, losing the World No. 2 at a Masters 1000 tournament in the 10th month of the 11 month season sparks additional debate.
This is the same tournament that current World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from, after suffering an injury en route to his victory at last week’s Japan Open.
Tennis is an individual sport, but the ATP and WTA Tours do dictate how many top-level tournaments players play in unless they are injured.
Bonuses and ranking points are at stake if healthy players choose not to.
The other negative consequence of not playing is that there are no first round byes (as reserved for seeded players), and the early round matches of tournaments are against very difficult opponents. Naomi Osaka’s return from maternity leave in 2024 was a perfect example of this.
With Sinner And Alcaraz Injured, Is The Current Tennis Calendar At A Breaking Point?
Opinions vary, but I think it is.
The product, a high level of professional tennis with top ranked players, is in jeopardy.
Money and sponsorships motivate the ATP/WTA to continue to post jam packed 11 month schedules.
When does it become too much, or are we already there?
