{"id":1809412,"date":"2026-03-05T21:00:05","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T18:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1809412"},"modified":"2026-03-05T21:00:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T18:00:05","slug":"jannik-sinner-hard-time-theory-dismissed-by-former-world-no-2-after-early-2026-defeats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1809412","title":{"rendered":"Jannik Sinner &#8216;hard time&#8217; theory dismissed by former world No 2 after early 2026 defeats"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">Jannik Sinner \u2018hard time\u2019 theory dismissed by former world No 2 after early 2026 defeats<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/oli-dickson-jefford\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Oli Dickson Jefford                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"05 Mar 2026 9:00 PM\" data-ps-date=\"05 Mar 2026 9:00 PM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1772744405\"><br \/>\n                            05 Mar 2026 9:00 PM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/common\/google_preferred_source_badge_dark@2x.png\" 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href=\"https:\/\/share.flipboard.com\/bookmarklet\/popout?v=2&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennis365.com%2Ftennis-news%2Fjannik-sinner-hard-time-theory-dismissed-former-world-no-2-early-2026-defeats\" aria-label=\"Share to flipboard\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"sm:hidden flex items-center space-x-5\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/common\/google_preferred_source_badge_dark@2x.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 dark:hidden h-6\" 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object-center !my-0\" src=\"https:\/\/d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.net\/content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Sinner-Corretja-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Pictured: Jannik Sinner and Alex Corretja.\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                ATP Tour players Jannik Sinner and Alex Corretja.                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\">\n<p>Former world No 2 Alex Corretja has dismissed concerns about Jannik Sinner\u2019s 2026 form, claiming that the Italian will ultimately become a better player after making changes to his game.<\/p>\n<p>World No 2 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/jannik-sinner\">Sinner<\/a> has tasted defeat at both his first two events of the season, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/australian-open\/novak-djokovic-lost-for-words-rolling-back-years-end-jannik-sinners-title-defence\">with the Italian beaten by Novak Djokovic in a five-set Australian Open semi-final<\/a>, before a three-set quarter-final loss to Jakub Mensik at the Qatar Open.<\/p>\n<p>Prior to losing to Djokovic in Melbourne, Sinner had won his last five matches against the Serbian, and had been riding a 19-match win streak at the Australian Open \u2014 having lifted the title in 2024 and 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/jannik-sinners-speaks-qatar-open-loss-jakub-mensik\">his loss to Mensik in Doha<\/a> was the first time he had lost a completed match to someone outside the top 10 since June 2025.<\/p>\n<p>With Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner\u2019s leading rival, not yet tasting defeat in 2026, many have questioned whether the Italian is struggling at the start of the year.<\/p>\n<p>However, the four-time Grand Slam champion has now been defended by Corretja, a two-time runner-up at the French Open.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to <a rel=\"noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tntsports.co.uk\/tennis\/atp-indian-wells\/2026\/carlos-alcaraz-jannik-sinner-novak-djokovic-alex-corretja_sto23277601\/story.shtml\" target=\"_blank\"><em>TNT Sports<\/em><\/a>, Corretja backed Sinner to return to top form sooner rather than later, and claimed that the Italian\u2019s early losses were a result of key changes he was making to his game.<\/p>\n<p>He said: \u201cI don\u2019t think Sinner is having a hard time finding his best version.<\/p>\n<h2>Tennis News<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/novak-djokovic-message-rivals-indian-wells-what-he-proved-australian-open\">Novak Djokovic reveals what he proved at Australian Open in message to Indian Wells rivals<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/andrey-rublev-speaks-out-in-first-interview-since-escaping-dubai-to-reach-indian-wells\">Andrey Rublev speaks out in first interview since escaping Dubai to reach Indian Wells<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause I think he\u2019s incorporating new things into his tennis to, as he said, not be so predictable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut that has a period in which you have to adapt, you have to incorporate, maybe with more drop shots, going up a little more to the net, looking for more winners in a different way, varying something, but all that has a toll and I think it\u2019s what Sinner is paying for to be more complete as a player from now on.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is a good investment on his part and I think that\u2019s what he has to do if you want to stay at the top by winning Grand Slam titles, which I\u2019m convinced he will continue to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>World No 2 Sinner will return to action this week in Indian Wells, where he is the second seed behind world No 1 Alcaraz.<\/p>\n<p>Indian Wells is the only Masters 1000 event on hard courts that Sinner has yet to win, having tasted defeat to Alcaraz at the semi-final stage in both 2023 and 2024.<\/p>\n<p>The Italian was serving a three-month suspension when the event was held in 2025, though he is back in Tennis Paradise this fortnight and is among the leading contenders to lift the men\u2019s singles title.<\/p>\n<p>After receiving an opening-round bye, Sinner will start his campaign against world No 109 Dalibor Srvinca, who came through qualifying before defeating James Duckworth in the first round.<\/p>\n<p>Sinner\u2019s campaign is set to start on Friday.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Want more from Tennis365? Add us as <a rel=\"noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\">a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for tennis coverage you can trust.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Read Next<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/carlos-alcaraz-jannik-sinner-predicted-pathway-blockbuster-indian-wells-clash\">Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner\u2019s predicted pathways to blockbuster Indian Wells clash<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"kwizly-quiz kwizly-WVAVve\" data-nosnippet=\"\" data-quiz-type=\"poll|mpu\"><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jannik Sinner \u2018hard time\u2019 theory dismissed by former world No 2 after early 2026 defeats Oli Dickson Jefford 05 Mar 2026 9:00 PM ATP Tour players Jannik Sinner and Alex Corretja. Former world No 2 Alex Corretja has dismissed concerns about Jannik Sinner\u2019s 2026 form, claiming that the Italian will ultimately become a better player [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-1809412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1809412","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1809412"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1809412\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1809412"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1809412"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1809412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}