Murray Challenges Sinner’s Claims: ‘Don’t Believe It’

Tennis star Jamie Murray has strongly rejected assertions made by Jannik Sinner’s coach, Darren Cahill. Cahill claimed that the reigning Australian Open champion hadn’t requested a delayed timeslot for his match. Murray, a former world No. 1 in doubles, openly dismissed this idea, emphasizing that Sinner’s camp likely wanted a late time after the player appeared distressed during his previous match.

Murray Challenges Sinner’s Claims

The controversy began when Sinner struggled with the intense heat at Melbourne Park during his match against American Eliot Spizzirri. As the match progressed, the Rod Laver Arena’s roof was closed to combat the rising temperatures. This late decision to close the roof raised suspicions and led to conspiracy theories among fans and analysts.

Timing and Impact of Roof Closure

Sinner himself acknowledged that he was “lucky” to benefit from the roof closure, which coincided with Spizzirri’s moment of gaining a break in the third set. Murray noted that, given Sinner’s physical challenges, it was reasonable to assume his team would have requested a later match time.

• Match Details:
  • Opponent: Luciano Darderi
  • Timeslot: Evening, starting at 6 PM AEDT
• Previous Matches:
  • Last played on Margaret Court Arena in 2024
  • Match against Spizzirri drew considerable attention

Cahill communicated to ESPN that they opted not to move to a night session despite the opportunity. He stated that Sinner was content with the scheduled time and had not expressed a desire to play later. This included a moment when Sinner had the option of taking the final match slot of the day after Jakub Mensik withdrew.

Public Reaction and Doubts

With Novak Djokovic advancing to the quarter-finals due to Mensik’s injury, Monday’s schedule featured only three men’s singles matches. Murray expressed skepticism about Cahill’s rejection of a late match. On TNT Sports, he said, “I don’t believe it. There’s no way he (Sinner) went through what he went through in his last match and then they didn’t want him to play as late as possible.”

As the tournament progresses, Sinner is set to meet Shelton in the quarter-finals, adding further intrigue surrounding the events that unfolded. Cahill’s actions during Sinner’s previous match, including discussions with Australian Open’s director Craig Tiley, have fueled ongoing speculation about the decisions made regarding match scheduling and roof closures.