He ended up in the bitter way: Jannik Sinner had to raise the white flag to Shanghai, bent not by his opponent, but with cramps. After more than two and a half hours of battle against Griekspoor, the number 2 in the world began to limpically limp in the third set. Shortly after, he stopped running completely.
No Medical Time Out: the regulation does not provide for cramps. End of the game. Withdrawal, defeat, 950 lost points. But the question is another: why does it happen? And above all, why can it happen to us too?
It is not just tiredness
Cramps are not a simple “collateral effect” of fatigue, even if that’s how we perceive them. In reality they are the manifestation of a mix of factors: dehydration, loss of mineral salts, prolonged effort and neuromuscular stress.
In the case of Sinner, the match was intense, long, played with very high rhythms and after days of consecutive tournaments. Perfect conditions to blow up the balance of the body.
The role of mineral salts (and heat)
During an intense physical activity, especially if accompanied by abundant sweating, the body loses sodium, potassium, magnesium: fundamental elements for the correct muscle contraction. When these reserves fall, the nervous system can send “crazy” signals to the muscles, causing involuntary and painful contractions.
In tennis, where exchanges can last even several minutes and there is no constant rhythm as in the race, the muscles suffer continuous stops and go that increase the risk.
Can it happen to us too?
You don’t need to play a Masters 1000 to find yourself folded by cramps. It can happen during a race, a long walk in the sun, an excursion to the mountains or even in the middle of the night. Physical, warm effort, poor hydration and deficiencies of minerals: this combination is enough. The difference is that Sinner was live live, maybe we are simply at the sea or in the gym.
What can be done to avoid them
Prevention starts from constant and correct hydration. Drinking only when the thirst arrives is often already too late. They serve liquids and gradually reintegrated salts, especially if you sweat a lot. Even a good heating and defaticting help to maintain reactive muscles and reduce spasms.
If the cramps arrive anyway, the first rule is to stop and lengthen: continue can worsen the contraction.
The lesson of the Casossinner
The Shanghai scene is yet another confirmation that even the best can collapse in front of a physiological problem that does not make discounts. The difference is that in professional tennis every detail is amplified, and a cramp can cost an entire tournament.
For those who make sports on an amateur level, learn to recognize the early signals – “that pull” legs, sudden thick, loss of strength – is already a step to avoid worse trouble.
