Sinner gets a scare against Machac and raises doubts in Monte Carlo

Pedro de Pablos | 9 Apr 2026 | 15.08

Sinner gets a scare against Machac and raises doubts in Monte Carlo.

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Jannik Sinner got a good scare in the round of 16 of the Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo 2026 against Tomas Machac, whom he ended up beating 6-1 6-7(3) 6-3 after two hours of play. The Italian tennis player triggered the alarms starting from the second set after requesting the physio's assistance for some back discomfort, but he finally managed to pull through.

However, the truth is that Sinner raised serious doubts. Perhaps due to the workload of matches that winning the 'Sunshine Double' (Indian Wells and Miami) a few days ago entails, the fact is that his mobility was not the same. Nevertheless, it was enough for him to win the match against Tomas Machac, but it remains to be seen how he evolves for the upcoming rounds, where he will have to improve his performance if he does not want to leave the tournament earlier than expected.

The truth is that the first set started in the best way for Sinner, showing a game similar to the one that allowed him to dominate Ugo Humbert in the first round of the tournament. The last time they faced each other, Machac could barely win five games, and seeing what happened in the first set, everything was heading towards a similar ending, thanks to a Jannik who did not seem to be burdened by the minutes played in the previous weeks. 6-1 and on to the next.

Machac 'steals' the second set from a injured Sinner

However, things changed in the second set. The Italian tennis player seemed to be experiencing back discomfort, even asking for an ibuprofen. His mobility significantly decreased, and the breaks started coming from the Czech player, who took a 5-2 lead playing like a champ and not giving Sinner any respite. At this rate, the third set was imminent, although the San Candido player had not yet said his final word.

Machac got nervous at the most crucial moment, making inexplicable mistakes and losing all the advantage he had over Jannik with two consecutive breaks (he didn't even have a set point). At that moment, Sinner's comeback could be felt in the air, but against all odds, Tomas played an impeccable tie break to take the match to the decisive third set, as it should have happened several games earlier.

Sinner wakes up just in time

The third set was a survival test. Both players called for the physio, and it was Sinner who struck first with a break that would ultimately be decisive. In fact, not much else happened in the third set beyond that service break, as Machac ran out of answers against the Italian, who was not exactly shining with his gameplay. Nevertheless, he played smartly to not struggle with his serve, and that was enough for him.

Another break by Jannik sealed the 6-3 final score, leading him to the quarterfinals and keeping his chances intact to snatch the number one ranking from Carlos Alcaraz in this tournament. To achieve this, he will have to defeat Felix Auger-Aliassime in the next round, although it remains to be seen how he feels physically after raising concerns in this match.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Sinner se lleva un susto ante Machac y deja dudas en Montecarlo