Darren Cahill recently revealed that tennis sensation and world number one Jannik Sinner was very close to retiring from the Australian Open 2025 due to a severe illness in the game. Sinner's coach, Cahill, affirmed that the Italian sensation was "pale and without energy" before a crucial match against star player Holger Rune, showcasing and highlighting that the situation was serious enough to consider withdrawal from the tournament. Notably, Jannik Sinner's health issues led to the cancellation of all practice sessions leading up to the match, and medical staff were involved in his recovery process.
During his crucial encounter against Holger Rune, the three-time major champion was spotted visibly stressed and with trembling hands, which forced him to take the medical time out. Despite that, Sinner played a blistering game and defeated Rune in the fourth round before making it to the quarters. The 23-year-old star later addressed the critical situation and said that he didn't have a warm-up during his game against Rune and was already aware of this situation.
Despite these challenges, the star player managed to push through and finally succeeded in defending his Australian Open title on Jan 26 after defeating Alexander Zverev, showcasing remarkable resilience, determination, and skill. In the parallel vein, Darren Cahill showcased extreme pride in world number one's ability to overcome such adversity, revealing the close bond and trust they share as coach and player.
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He recommended he take an ice bath and that's how he entered the court: Darren Cahill
"He had been feeling unwell since a few hours after his third-round match (against Giron). The day before the match against Rune, he worsened and went to bed early. We had scheduled a morning training session and we cancelled it because he was not in condition. We didn't know if he could play. He went straight to warm up shortly before the match and he was completely pale. We headed straight to the doctor, who gave him some gels to regain some energy. He recommended he take an ice bath and that's how he entered the court," Darren Cahill said.
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