An entertaining incident occurred during Jannik Sinner’s victory against Chris O’Connell at the Miami Open.
Jannik Sinner found himself checking on his physio during his match against Chris O’Connell at the Miami Open, after accidentally hitting a return serve into his groin.
Stretching for a one-handed backhand, Sinner’s shot veered off his racket and struck Giacomo Naldi, who was seated in the front row.
Naldi’s response indicated the ball was still moving quickly when it hit him, as he briefly showed signs of significant discomfort. Despite this, the Australian Open champion approached with a wide grin to check on him, evidently finding humor in the situation.
Naldi eventually found humor in the incident too, though he protected his lower region for a few moments after Sinner resumed play.
The 22-year-old later humorously remarked in his post-match interview, “The serve was in. With the frame the ball went straight to him at a really important part for human beings.”
Sinner had reasons to feel content post-match, having defeated his opponent 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals. There, he is set to face Tomas Machac, who recently ousted Andy Murray from the competition.
This incident between Sinner and his physio was not the only light-hearted interruption during the match. Another delay occurred when a ball flew into the audience and was expertly caught by an alert spectator.
At first, the fan seemed intent on keeping his newfound souvenir until the umpire requested over the microphone: “Sir, can we please have our ball back? I’ll give you another one.”
True to the umpire’s promise, a ball girl was dispatched to give the fan another ball from earlier in the game. Once the man verified its authenticity, he smiled widely and accepted his replacement gift.
