World No. 2 Jannik Sinner defeated Tomas Machac 6-1, 6-7, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters on Thursday. The Italian admitted to feeling tired and struggling during the match, raising concerns ahead of his next clash. Sinner called for the physio and took a medical timeout amid back issues.
Sinner dominated the first set in just 30 minutes but faltered in the second, losing his serve twice and dropping the tiebreak 7-3. Both players required medical attention—Sinner for his back and Machac for his elbow—leading to a disrupted middle phase. He rallied in the third set with an early break to secure the two-hour victory, ending a streak of 37 straight sets won at ATP Masters 1000 events before this loss of a set in his last 18 such matches. This marks the first set dropped by Sinner in those 18 outings. Sinner leads the ATP with consistency in 2026, having claimed the Sunshine Double at Indian Wells and Miami for a 12-match winning streak. He recently withdrew from doubles in Monaco with Zizou Bergs due to physical demands. > “It was a tough match, I was struggling a bit in the second set, I was a bit tired today. I hope I can recover for tomorrow,” Sinner said post-match. > “I felt great before the match. In the second set I struggled a bit to find the right energy... The main priority is to recover.” The second seed, who has narrowed the ranking gap to world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz to 1,190 points, faces sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in Friday's quarterfinal. Sinner holds a 4-2 head-to-head edge over the Canadian, who advanced via a win over Marin Cilic and a walkover against Casper Ruud.
