Former Italian player Paolo Bertolucci reckons Jannik Sinner’s virus cost him in the Australian Open and Qatar. Sinner suffered a five-set loss against Novak Djokovic in the semifinal of the Australian Open whereas he was beaten by Jakub Mensik in the quarterfinals of Qatar Open.

However, Sinner bounced back in style as he went all the way in the Indian Wells. The Italian registered a 7-6, 7-6 win against Daniil Medvedev in the summit clash of the BNP Paribas Open.

With this win, the Italian joins Djokovic and Federer as the only men to win all six Masters 1000 hard-court trophies. Furthermore, the 24-year-old also became the first man to win consecutive Masters 1000 titles without losing a set since the series began in 1990.

Paolo Bertolucci said on La Gazzetta dello Sport, “The fan takes their idol’s defeat almost as a personal insult: as soon as [Jannik] Sinner, who spoiled the tennis community, loses a match, tragedy strikes,” he said.

“Sometimes we forget that Jannik always wants to win, but he himself knows that even the greatest have faced defeat at times.

“Players at this level who play 17 tournaments a year win an average of six or seven [titles], so it’s a given that they lose the other ten times.

“This is the calculation you have to make.

“It was predictable that, once he had overcome the aftermath of the virus that prevented him from being at his best in Melbourne and Doha, Jannik would return to his former level.”

Meanwhile, Sinner will next take part in the Miami Open. He won the title in Miami in 2024 after beating Daniil Medvedev in the final whereas he could not participate in the previous edition due to three-month doping suspension.