Jannik Sinner’s quest for Wimbledon glory concluded at the quarter-final stage on Wednesday, following a grueling five-set battle against Daniil Medvedev. Sinner faced significant physical challenges during the match, requiring a medical timeout in the third set due to illness. A doctor assessed his condition, checking his pulse before Sinner briefly left the court. Despite his efforts, he ultimately succumbed to Medvedev.

“Already this morning I didn’t feel great. I had some problems,” Sinner revealed in his post-match press conference. “Then with the fatigue, it was tough. But take nothing away from Daniil. I think he played very smart. He played good tennis. That’s it. I went off the court. I didn’t want to go off. The physio told me it was better to take some time because he watched me and I didn’t seem in shape to play. I was struggling physically. It was not an easy moment. I tried to fight with what I had today.

“I was not feeling great. I didn’t vomit. But I took some time because I was dizzy quite a lot. Off court, I had the toughest time. When I went back, I tried my best.”

Medvedev’s victory marks a significant milestone, breaking Sinner’s five-match winning streak against the fifth seed. Sinner, who had previously reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon last year, was aiming to replicate that achievement. Despite his early exit, Sinner remains positive about his season, highlighting his consistent performance and few losses.

“I felt like I was playing some good tennis,” said Sinner. “I had tough opponents to reach this point. But it also gives you confidence when you beat certain players. It’s tough because I felt like I was feeling the ball in a very positive way. Also today I tried. Just the ending was not what I wanted.

“It is a tough one to swallow. But the season is going very positive, a lot of wins, not so many losses. The losses are very tight matches. The level is there. That’s the most important. Just watching out for the positives.”

Despite his physical struggles, Sinner never considered retiring from the match, drawing strength from the supportive crowd and his determination to push through.

“I was surprised that I pushed the match longer. I retired a lot two years ago. I don’t want to retire if it’s only a little bit of illness or sick,” Sinner said. “I was still in shape to play somehow. In the fifth set I felt a little bit better again. The energy level was a bit up. Today the energy level was not consistent. It was up and down. It’s also not easy to handle the situations on the court.

“It happens. I was never thinking about retiring. For sure the crowd helped me a lot trying to push me. You don’t want to retire in a quarter-final of a Grand Slam.”

Sinner exits Wimbledon with an impressive 42-4 record for the season, having secured titles at the Australian Open, Rotterdam, Miami, and Halle. He currently leads the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, though Carlos Alcaraz has a chance to close the gap if he clinches his fourth major title.