Tennis fan dragged off by security after storming court to confront Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner returned to action at the Six Kings Slam and beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2 6-3 in the first round, but the world No. 2 was later confronted by a fan on the court
A fan was hauled off the court by security after approaching world No. 2 Jannik Sinner at the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh. After a solid 6-2, 6-3 victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas in his opening match on Wednesday, Sinner was confronted by a young lad seemingly asking for his jacket post-match.
The pair exchanged words briefly before security stepped in, whisking the boy away. As Sinner packed his bags in the background, presenters Prakash Amritraj, Feliciano Lopez and Laura Robson analysed his performance.
The fan approached Sinner, shook his hand and gestured repeatedly towards his jacket. Their chat wasn't captured by microphones, but the four-time Major winner appeared puzzled as the boy tapped Sinner's jacket before pointing to himself.
A security guard swooped in, grabbing the boy and pulling him away from Sinner so the world No.2 could exit the court. Sinner was making his comeback after retiring from the recent Shanghai Masters due to the gruelling hot and humid conditions.
The 24-year-old, who was defending his title in Shanghai, was among several players who struggled with the extreme weather. The 2024 champion could barely stand by the time he had to throw in the towel due to severe cramps during the third set of his third-round match against Tallon Griekspoor.
Arriving in Riyadh to defend his title at the Six Kings Slam, Sinner said: "The cramps in Shanghai? I think they were due to a mental factor.
"I talked with my team - from that point of view, I wasn't perfect, but now everything's fine.
"The mistake was mine, the heat and humidity got me down. You learn from these things - cramps can happen, and I was one of many to suffer from them."
However, Sinner quickly bounced back at the Six Kings Slam, sailing past Tsitsipas to secure a spot in the semi-finals, where he will go head-to-head with Novak Djokovic.
"Of course, we know each other now a little bit better, played already many times. With time, we become better players and know each other's game a little bit more so I knew a little bit tactically how to prepare for the match," the world No. 2 later shared.
"But generally I just tried to stay quite aggressive, especially on the return games. I felt like I was serving very well in the important moments.
"This is a very interesting situation we have to deal with here on the court because it's quite bouncy."