Jannik Sinner leads seven retirements as Shanghai Masters stars 'dying on court'

Jannik Sinner's retirement sent shockwaves through the Shanghai Masters draw on Sunday. The reigning champion suffered severe cramping and could barely walk as he threw in the towel with Tallon Griekspoor leading 6-7(3) 7-5 3-2. But Sinner isn't the only man to have retired from the tournament, as six other players have been forced to call it quits mid-match since the Shanghai Masters got underway on Wednesday.

The conditions in Shanghai this year are brutal, with high humidity and temperatures easily reaching around 35 degrees Celsius on most days. Even those who haven't retired are clearly feeling the heat, as Holger Rune had his vitals checked on Sunday, while Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard said: "I thought I was dying on the court."

Sinner appeared to pick up a leg injury towards the end of the second set and was visibly cramping by the time he and Griekspoor headed into a decider. The world No. 2 played on, seemingly hoping the cramps would subside, but he could barely walk by the time he retired and needed the physio's help to leave the court.

Earlier in the day, David Goffin, who caused a big upset when he beat No. 6 seed Ben Shelton in the previous round, retired just 10 minutes into his third-round match against Gabriel Diallo.

Goffin did not receive any treatment and called it quits while 3-0 down heading into the first changeover. His retirement was later cited as a neck issue.

Tomas Machac, who reached the semi-finals in Shanghai last year when he upset Carlos Alcaraz, also retired mid-match on Sunday with a right knee injury. The 20th seed was 6-0 3-1 down to qualifier Valentin Vacherot when he decided he couldn't continue.

No. 11 seed Casper Ruud retired in the second round, trailing Belgian ace Zizou Bergs 3-6 7-5 4-1. Ruud's withdrawal appeared sudden, but it was later noted as a problem with his right wrist.

Three players retired in the first round, with Terence Atmane, Hamad Medjedovic, and Yibing Wu unable to finish their matches.

Atmane later revealed that he had been struggling with heat exhaustion and said: "I started to feel very suffocated. I couldn't breathe, my head was hurting, I couldn't speak, and I didn't even know what day it was. I panicked. I'm still confused about what happened to me."

Medjedovic also grappled with the brutal conditions and had multiple visits from the trainer. His opponent, Arthur Rinderknech, wasn't happy, and they had a spat when the rising Serbian star retired despite leading 7-6(3) 0-1.

The players who are still in the tournament are also struggling to manage the hot, humid conditions. Mpetshi Perricard caused a big upset when he defeated No. 5 seed Taylor Fritz on Sunday in a brutal match that saw both men repeatedly double over to catch their breath.

The Frenchman later said: "It was tough, to be honest. Tough conditions, very humid, a lot of humidity. So the game at 5-5, it was terrible. I thought I was dying on the court."

Rune also sparked concern during his third-round match, calling the doctor and the physio and having his blood pressure taken during the first set. The 10th seed could also be heard asking officials why the ATP does not have a heat rule, as they do on the WTA Tour, which allowed play to be suspended in Wuhan on Monday due to extreme weather.

The Dane played on and beat Ugo Humbert 6-4 6-4. And there were similar scenes a day later, as home hope Jerry Shang also called the trainers to the court.

Shang had his vitals checked before serving for the second set of his match against Nuno Borges, having lost the first. And it likely won't be the last time we see players get help from the doctors as they battle through the tough conditions in Shanghai.